


At Every Chance

by Mooifyourecows



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Just use your imagination, M/M, Some Fluff, and a fantasy day, and a samurai day, daichi is mostly the poor soul being tortured by that little devil, daisugaweek2017, each day is pretty different, i live and breathe for badass suga, i really don't know how to tag this, i took a lot of liberties with the prompts, i'm quitting tagging, it's mostly fluffy and sweet, rated mature for language, some other stuff, suga is mostly a little devil, the other characters are only very small parts, there's a youkai day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 23:25:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11724768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mooifyourecows/pseuds/Mooifyourecows
Summary: My contributions to DaiSugaWeek2017, formerly only uploaded to Tumblr.-“Daichi, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold in my death scream as I plunge to the ground one hundred meters below.”“Don’t worry, it’s not that high.”“Daichi, I’m really going to do it.”“Okay.”Several silent seconds ticked by before the sound of the balcony door sliding shut hummed through the room. Daichi listened intently for any indication of what side Sugawara ended up on. After a long minute, soft footsteps padded in his direction and he let out a sigh.“Daichi, you’re no fun,” Sugawara murmured.“I know.”





	1. Sneaking Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi gets dragged on a not-so-adventurous adventure to the far off lands of his backyard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between sneaking out and staying in, I choose the former.

Daichi had finally, _finally_ fallen asleep when the first knock rattled through his bedroom, rousing him from that much coveted slumber he had spent the last hour and a half struggling to capture.

“Are you kidding me?” he whispered, eyes still closed tightly against the darkness of the night. “Are you kidding me right now?”

Another knock pounded from somewhere to his left. Daichi peeled his eyelids open and glared at the curtain hiding the sliding door that lead to the balcony overlooking the backyard of his family home.

There was only one person ballsy enough to scale the three stories to his bedroom in the dead of night. Actually, it didn’t matter what time of day it was. No one was stupid enough to risk climbing the side of his house, which was virtually devoid of handholds other than the rickety gutter barely hanging on to the cream colored stucco of the wall.

No one but his vice-captain, that is.

A third knock, louder this time, echoed through the room and Daichi let out a low groan.

“Bastard,” he muttered as he rolled onto his side and pushed drowsily into a sitting position. He didn’t bother pulling on his sweats or shirt as he slumped tiredly across the room to the balcony. He grabbed the curtains and thrust them open.

He found Sugawara immediately, fully dressed and standing just outside his door with a bright grin illuminating his face. His eyes darted down Daichi’s bare chest and over his black briefs and he sarcastically fanned his face, grin sliding into a shit eating smirk.

Daichi’s scowl deepened and he considered dragging the curtains closed once more and returning to bed, but seemingly reading his mind, Sugawara hurriedly pressed his hands to the glass of the sliding door and leaned into it, pouting his lips and fluttering his eyelashes in a silent plea.

Daichi let out a heavy sigh and unlocked the door. Sugawara slid it open immediately.

“About time!” he said cheerfully.

“What are you doing here, Suga?” Daichi asked warily, moving back as his vice-captain stepped into the room, a little too close to Daichi’s near naked form for comfort. “You do realize that we _finally_ have a day off tomorrow, right? Shouldn’t you be catching up on your sleep?”

“That’s _why_ I’m here,” Sugawara shifted closer to him, ignoring the careful distance Daichi insisted on keeping between them. “We have a day off tomorrow! Let’s do something!”

“All I want to do is sleep.”

“Lame! Daichi, you’re boring!”

“I’m fine with that.”

Sugawara huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, “I run all the way here, risk my life to climb to your room—”

“I didn’t ask you to—”

“And you’re going to _reject me_?” Sugawara pressed the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically. “Unthinkable! Ungrateful! Woe is me! Whatever shall I do with myself?”

“Don’t care.”

“Guess I’ll throw myself from the balcony,” Sugawara turned and walked back out of the room.

“Be my guest,” Daichi went to his bed. “Just be quiet about it. My parents will flip if you wake them up. Again.” He slid under his sheet and rolled to his side, facing the wall.

“Daichi, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold in my death scream as I plunge to the ground one hundred meters below.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not that high.”

“Daichi, I’m really going to do it.”

“Okay.”

Several silent seconds ticked by before the sound of the balcony door sliding shut hummed through the room. Daichi listened intently for any indication of what side Sugawara ended up on. After a long minute, soft footsteps padded in his direction and he let out a sigh.

“Daichi, you’re no fun,” Sugawara murmured.

“I know.”

“Asahi would sneak out with me.”

Daichi snorted, “No he wouldn’t.”

Sugawara sighed loudly and grabbed Daichi’s sheet, “ _I know._ You’re both a couple of nerds.”

Daichi held his breath as the warmth of his vice-captain slid into the bed behind him.

“I just wanted to go look at the stars,” Sugawara huffed, tugging on Daichi’s pillow. “They’re really bright tonight.”

“Look by yourself then,” Daichi opened his eyes and stared at the wall, breathing deeply and slowly, attempting to still the racing of his traitorous heart.

“It’s more fun with a partner,” he snuggled in close to his back, nearly- but not quite- touching.

“Guess you came to the wrong house then.”

Sugawara didn’t reply for a long moment and Daichi used the silence to concentrate on something, _anything_ other than the hot breath tickling the back of his neck.

His efforts were smashed to the ground when he felt a poke in his side, followed by Sugawara’s finger trailing down to the waistband of his boxer briefs. Daichi held his breath as the finger slipped inside, pulled back, and snapped the elastic against his skin.

“I didn’t peg you as the type to sleep in your panties, Daichi,” Sugawara giggled.

Daichi gulped, “Well it’s hot as hell so…”

“Not hot enough to sleep naked though?”

Daichi squeezed his hands into fists, fingernails digging in to his palms, “Maybe I was naked but put them on when you knocked.”

Sugawara’s finger snapped his elastic again, “If that’s the case then I’m slightly disappointed that your curtains were closed…”

“H-huh?”

“Nothing,” his finger drifted up his side.

Daichi shivered.

“Are you cold, Daichi?”

“N-No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“You’ve got goosebumps.”

“You’re tickling me.”

“I didn’t peg you as the ticklish type.”

“Guess I’m just full of surprises tonight then.”

Sugawara chuckled, “I like surprises.”

Daichi swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and stared at the wall.

_I have a huge crush on you._

_Surprise._

“Hey Daichi?”

“Y-Yeah?” Daichi choked on the word and coughed into his fist.

Silence stretched between them and Sugawara let out a deep sigh.

“Nah. Never mind.”

Sugawara’s hand slipped off of his side and then all five of his fingertips pressed gently against his back. Daichi chewed on his bottom lip and closed his eyes. It took all of his self-control to hold himself back from rolling over and gathering his troublesome vice-captain into his arms and planting the kiss he had been dying to give him for the past year and a half directly onto his lips.

No matter how much he wanted to, Daichi couldn’t possibly doing something as stupid as that. They were friends. And on top of that, they were both boys. That was weird. Sugawara would think he was weird. He’d probably stop sneaking over to his house if Daichi did something as gross as that. He’d probably even stop talking to him. Maybe he’d avoid him. They wouldn’t have study dates anymore. He would probably even stop changing in front of him in the club room.

Because Daichi was gross, wasn’t he?

It was gross that he was pining for his best friend, his vice-captain… another boy.

Not that anyone could blame him, right?

Sugawara was beautiful. It was no wonder Daichi fell for him. He was gorgeous and fun and cheerful and supportive. And he always seemed happy to be with Daichi. As if seeing him every day at school and volleyball practice was never enough… he snuck over to Daichi’s house every weekend to drag him off on some stupid adventure.

It was really no wonder that Daichi was hopelessly in love with the guy.

“Hey Daichi.”

Sugawara’s soft voice dragged him from his thoughts. He gulped and dug his fingernails harder into his palms.

“Yeah?”

“I know a really good spot to look at the stars.”

Daichi pursed his lips.

“It’s my favorite, secret spot. But I’m willing to share it with you.”

He smiled softly, “You’re so generous.”

“I know.”

Daichi inhaled deeply and then let it out. He sat up and looked down at Sugawara, who peered up at him with a cocked eyebrow. Daichi stared for a long second, soaking in just how perfect the boy looked nestled in his bed, the navy blue pillow case ruffling his pale hair around his face.

_I’m in love with you._

_Surprise._

“Alright,” Daichi rubbed his eyes. “Let me put on some clothes. Then take me to your secret spot.”

“Oh ho, you want to be in my secret spot, eh Daichi?”

Daichi’s face flamed and he didn’t need to look to know that Sugawara was wearing that sneaky smirk.

“Shut the hell up,” he grumbled and crawled out of the bed.

Sugawara snickered.

Daichi dressed quickly, pulling on the track suit he had discarded hours earlier after volleyball practice.

“You’re going to wear a stinky, sweaty track suit on our date, Daichi? How unromantic.”

_He’s doing this on purpose_.

Daichi swallowed, zipping up his jacket.

“Don’t complain,” he said firmly. “I’ll wear whatever I want.”

“Rude. I took a shower and put on this really nice outfit. And you’re just going to wear your wrinkly volleyball duds? Why do I even try?”

“You’re wearing jeans and a sweatshirt,” Daichi pointed out, glancing over his shoulder to where Sugawara was still stretched out on his bed. “Don’t act like you’re in a tuxedo.”

“Yeah but at least they’re clean,” Sugawara pouted his lips. He hesitated and then looked away, “Well, mostly clean.”

Daichi snorted and pulled on a pair of socks.

“Fine,” Sugawara said. “I’ll let it slide that you’re wearing a smelly track suit only because this isn’t really a date.”

Daichi stared down at his sneakers silently. Ouch. Rejection.

“But,” Sugawara added, somewhat hesitantly. “When we _do_ go on a real date, I’ll expect something a little nicer.”

Daichi’s heart thudded into action and his face blazed. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face as picked up his shoes and turned.

“Sure,” he said brightly. “On a real one, I’ll be sure to wear something really nice.”

Sugawara smiled and sat up. “Okay! Let’s go!” he hopped to his feet and walked towards the balcony.

“Ah… can’t we just sneak out the front?” Daichi asked anxiously. “If we’re quiet—”

“No way! The best part about sneaking out is climbing out the window!”

Sugawara grabbed his hand and dragged him to the sliding door.

“But we’re three stories up—”

“Don’t worry, I’ve done it a thousand times.”

Daichi groaned uncomfortably as they slipped out into the night, Sugawara closing the door behind them. Daichi glanced over the railing of the balcony, down to the grassy lawn far below.

“It’s easy,” Sugawara promised, releasing his hand and moving to the side of the balcony. “You just grab on to the gutter and slide down to the second floor, then balance on the window sill and grab onto the terrace. Then it’s pretty close to the ground so you can just drop!”

“Suga, you’re crazy.”

Sugawara turned to him, grinning, “Yep!”

Daichi swallowed hard and slipped his feet into his sneakers.

“Alright,” he inhaled deeply. “Let’s go then.”

“I’ll go first and show you how it’s done,” Sugawara eagerly scampered over the railing of the balcony and latched onto the wobbly gutter. Daichi stood anxiously nearby, hands out in case he needed to grab onto him and drag him back to safety.

Sugawara expertly slid down the gutter to the terrace. He lowered to his butt and then slipped over it, twisting and grabbing onto the ledge to slowly lower over the grass. He dropped the final distance, landing in a crouch. He straightened and grinned up at Daichi, giving him a wave.

He made it look so effortless.

There was no way Daichi could pull that off.

If he didn’t slip and fall to his death, he was at least going to look like a clumsy asshole right in front of Sugawara. He was probably going to tease him forever. He definitely wasn’t going to miraculously fall in love with how cool and suave he was, like Daichi kind of secretly hoped he would. But if Daichi changed his mind and went back into his bedroom, Sugawara would probably think he was even lamer.

So the only option was to just do it.

Maybe Sugawara would admire his bravery.

And fall deeply in love with him.

Though, probably not.

Daichi let out a sigh and climbed slowly over the railing of the balcony. He wrapped his hands tightly around the gutter, quivering in fear. He weighed more than Sugawara. What if it was too much? What if he pulled the gutter off of the house? That would look so _lame._

Daichi was going to look so _lame._

He gritted his teeth and clumsily slid down the gutter to the window sill on the second floor Sugawara had used for balance. Daichi got his feet onto the window sill with no trouble and let out a sigh of relief that the gutter had held out.

Feeling confident, he reached for the terrace.

But he released the gutter a little too soon.

And then he kind of flailed for a moment, life flashing before his eyes as his fingers just missed the terrace and wind milled through the air.

And man Daichi was so lame. Because he slipped off of the window sill and plunged the rest of the way to the lawn, letting out a soft “Oh” before his back and head connected with the grass.

He was dead.

He was sure that he was dead.

After all, the only thing he could see was a sky full of glittering stars, shining brighter than anything Daichi had ever seen. They were so beautiful that they stole the breath from his lungs.

_Wow._

And then Sugawara’s face leaned over him, worry lined in the firm curl of his eyebrows, eyes wide, mouth flapping as he spoke.

“ _Daichi, Daichi, oh my god_. Daichi, are you okay?”

Daichi was dead for sure.

Because Sugawara’s face, surrounded by nothing but stars… ah… that was an ethereal sight that could only exist in heaven.

Daichi reached up and cupped the back of Sugawara’s head with one hand, the other snaking around his waist. He dragged him down to his chest, leaning up to meet his lips with his own.

And oh man, Daichi didn’t realize that being dead would be so nice. Sugawara’s lips were soft and slightly parted, his breath hot as it filled Daichi’s mouth. His body was solid but compliant, easily folding into his arms as he slid down to meet him, hands cupping either side of his face.

Daichi had to be in heaven.

Because Sugawara wasn’t resisting. In fact, he was kissing him back. One of his legs slipped between Daichi’s thighs and he stretched out on top of him, leaning eagerly into his lips. Daichi tangled his fingers in the hair at the back of his head and pulled him closer, arm tightening around his waist.

Daichi was definitely in heaven.

Except… everything hurt.

His back and head ached and his lungs hadn’t managed to suck in a proper breath yet, resulting in him gasping pathetically for air as he pulled back from Sugawara’s mouth.

Sugawara ignored his desperation for oxygen and chased his lips, covering them once more. His tongue slipped into his mouth and Daichi squeezed his eyes shut.

He was in heaven… right?

Because only in the afterlife would Sugawara ever kiss him like this. Daichi had to be dead. But he hurt all over. And he couldn’t breathe.

And all the blood was rushing to his lower body with every rub of Sugawara’s leg against him.

And he felt very much alive.

Daichi pulled away again.

“S-Suga!”

Sugawara hesitated and leaned back. His eyes were glazed over, cheeks flushed, lips slightly parted as he panted softly.

Daichi gulped, “D-Did I die?”

Sugawara’s eyebrows furrowed and his gaze darted across his face.

“No?” He pushed up on his hands, “I don’t think so? I mean… you look alive. And feel alive. And… oh my god Daichi do you have a hard-on?”

Daichi blanched and he quickly covered his eyes with his hands.

“No, no, no, no, no, please no…”

Sugawara was silent for a long minute before letting out a snorting laugh.

Daichi slowly parted his fingers and peered up at him in humiliation.

“Oh man,” Sugawara wiped his eyes as they filled with tears. “I’m never going to let you live this down.”

“Sh-shut up…”

“Sawamura Daichi fell off his house, kissed his best friend, and popped a boner.”

“Oh my god, stop.”

“Sawamura Daichi, captain of the Karasuno volleyball team, our fearless leader, scary when he’s angry Sawamura Daichi—”

Daichi wrapped his arms around Sugawara’s middle and yanked him to the side. Sugawara let out a yelp as Daichi rolled him onto his back and leaned into him, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.

“I couldn’t help it,” he muttered, heart thundering in his chest. His skin crawled with terror but he couldn’t stop himself from confessing, “That’s what happens when you finally kiss the guy you’ve been hopelessly in love with for the past year and a half.”

Silence grew between them and Daichi cursed himself.

He ruined it.

He ruined everything.

“You’ve gotta be kidding,” Sugawara finally whispered.

Daichi squeezed his eyes shut tightly, waiting for the axe to fall and completely sever any hope he ever had that maybe Sugawara could return his feelings.

“A year and a half?” Sugawara let out a huff. “You’re kidding.”

Daichi’s heart dropped.

“Daichi you idiot. Now I look pathetic.”

Sugawara’s arms lifted and wrapped around his shoulders.

“So I’m the only one that’s been pining for the full three years then?”

Daichi’s eyes slowly opened.

What?

“How lame!” Sugawara whined, knees rising on either side of Daichi’s hips. “Lame! Love at first sight is only cute when it happens to both people!”

Daichi leaned back, eyes wide.

“What?”

“How did you not fall in love with me the instant you saw me, Daichi?” Sugawara continued to rant, brows furrowed, nose scrunched. “Was it the hair? Do you not like short hair?”

“Wh-what?”

“Even if you don’t like short hair, I was still really cute! My face hasn’t changed much since then and I haven’t grown all _that_ much…”

“Suga,” Daichi held his breath. “Do… do you…”

Sugawara blinked up at him, “What?”

“Do you like me?”

Sugawara scowled, “Duh!” He hesitated, eyes widening, “You didn’t know that? Are you stupid? Are you literally the dumbest person alive?”

_So I’m alive after all?_

Daichi’s mind whirled and he wanted nothing more than to go back to bed.

“Daichi, you’re so dumb. Was I not obvious enough, or something? I’ve been carnivorously chasing you ever since first year and you never noticed?” Sugawara’s hands slid down to his shoulders as he gaped up at him. “You mean… all the time I spent ogling you in the club room… and how I wink at you in class… and how I sneak over to your room every weekend… and how I _literally suggested we go on a real date like ten minutes ago…_ ” Sugawara blinked in shock, “You never _noticed_?”

Daichi’s cheeks burned, “I thought you were teasing me…”

“I was!”

Daichi furrowed his brows.

“But I was serious too!” Sugawara let out a laugh and held Daichi’s face in his hands. “You’re so dumb! And here I thought you were just playing hard-to-get… all this time you thought it was one-sided?”

Daichi didn’t reply.

Because yeah. That’s exactly what he thought.

Sugawara’s expression softened and his fingers threaded gently through the hair behind Daichi’s ears.

“I like you, Sawamura Daichi.”

He pulled him down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

And Daichi had to be in heaven.

For long minutes, they lay in the grass, kissing softly, dragging their fingers reverently through each other’s hair and over every millimeter of skin visible in the gaps of their clothing. It wasn’t until an hour later that they lay on their sides in the grass, facing one another, that Daichi remembered the whole purpose for their sneaking out in the first place.

“You didn’t take me to your secret spot,” he mumbled drowsily, blinking slowly.

Sugawara laced their fingers together and smiled.

“Oh ho ho? Daichi wants in my secret spot?”

“Shut up.”

Sugawara giggled and slid closer until their noses were touching.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “The stars are pretty here too.”

“Hmm…” Daichi closed his eyes. “Beautiful.”

He was just drifting off to sleep when Sugawara admitted under his breath,

“There was never a secret spot.”

The corner of Daichi’s mouth ticked up.

“I just wanted you to sneak out with me.”

And there really was no doubt about it left in Daichi’s mind.

He was definitely in heaven.


	2. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi totally did not sign up for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day two was a choice between Magic and Space and I cheated and went with Supernatural.  
> (Which is still pretty magical if you ask me.)

_Touch me…_

Daichi stared warily up at the decrepit old statue of the bucking horse.

_Touch me…_ the faint whispering voice hummed from somewhere within the bird dropping spattered bronze of the horse’s form.

His lip twitched up in distaste.

_What an erotic haunted statue._

When he had heard the first whisperings among his new classmates about the possessed horse statue in the back gardens of the high school to which he had just transferred not a week prior, he had imagined something a little more…

Sinister?

Or at least less…

_Touch me_ …

Well, less  _perverted_.

Daichi considered ignoring it. Even though he had come to school an hour early in order to investigate the rumor. He  _could_ just ignore it. It wasn’t his job to solve hauntings anyway. It’s not like he was an exorcist.

But he wasn’t actually expecting it to be legitimately haunted in the first place. Most rumors of possession or voices calling out in the middle of the night were nothing but that.

Rumors.

_C’mon… just a little touch._

Daichi let out a growling sigh.

He  _could_ just ignore it.

But if his guardian caught word that a talking, perverted, horse statue was begging people to touch it and had even sent the  _last_ person who touched it, a janitor assigned to clean it, to the hospital with a brain aneurysm… well that was just  _asking_  to open up a huge can of worms, wasn’t it?

He would probably show up at the school in broad daylight, decked to the nines in talismans and wearing that,  _oh god,_ that horribly embarrassing Noh mask he claimed to be a ward against the whisperings of sirens.

One week after transferring to his new school… that was the  _last_ thing Daichi needed.

It wasn’t like he didn’t alreadyhave a tough time fitting in with other kids without the “help” from his strange- albeit well meaning- guardian’s interference.

He could ignore it.

But it was probably less troublesome to just deal with it on his own.

_Touch me… I won’t bite._

Daichi sneered and reached out.

_Sure you won’t, pervert._

Without hesitation, Daichi wrapped his hand around the ankle of the front left leg of the statue.

A pulse traveled through his body and his hand burned with quick, sudden heat. He winced but held tight until the pulse echoed back up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head and the heat disappeared, replaced by an icy cold sting. A bright light flashed, blinding Daichi momentarily and he released the statue, taking a large stride backwards.

“ _Ah hahahahaha!_ ” a cackling voice rang out. “ _Fuckin’ finally!”_

Daichi rubbed his eyes until the brown spots disappeared. He blinked rapidly and stared up at the cloud of grey smoke hanging over the statue, formless and light. Lines of black smoke rolled through the cloud and Daichi hunted for some kind of face or source of the voice.

The cloud coiled away from the statue, voice throwing expletives back its way. And then somehow, it seemed to turn towards Daichi, though he couldn’t say why he felt that way, considering the lack of shape.

“Thank you kindly for freeing me,” the voice turned sweet. “Your reward is being my very first meal of the century!”

The cloud rushed towards him and yeah, Daichi probably should have ignored it, after all.

Because he was not equipped to face this kind of thing.

Regardless, he cocked his fist back, waited, and slammed it forward as black tendrils reached out from the smoke.

And you would think that there’d be no connection.

It being a cloud and all.

But would you believe it, Daichi’s fist crashed into something solid, very solid, and sent it flying backwards and to the cobbled path. The cloud of smoke dissipated and Daichi stared wide-eyed at the body that writhed and kicked on the ground before him.

“Owwww!” what looked to be a young man with unruly grey hair clutched at his face. “That hurt! You actually hit me!”

Daichi blinked in surprise.

The young man kicked, groaning loudly. He was dressed in a pair of light grey hakama, tied at his calves with bright royal blue ribbon, and a tightly fitted, black, half shirt with long sleeves. The hem of the shirt ended just halfway down his torso, displaying the pale skin of his toned abdomen, upon which black stripes were tattooed.

The boy’s face was unremarkable, as far as youkai went. There were no horns, no enlarged or protruding features.

In fact, other than the tall, hairy ears and black stripes curling across his cheeks to his delicate nose, he looked entirely human.

Other than the long, sharp incisors revealed as his mouth opened- entirely too wide to be human- and he let out the shout,

“Don’t get cocky! It’s because I’m sore from being stuck in that statue for ninety years!”

The boy climbed to his feet, bent at his knees, and then jumped into the air, where he hung, suspended. He lifted both hands, raising his middle fingers, and then whirled in the opposite direction.

“Suck a dick, Jackass!” he yelled and then flew away, trailing grey smoke as he went.

Daichi watched him go for a moment until he disappeared. He scratched the back of his head and then gazed down at his hand.

_I punched a youkai._

He squeezed his hand into a fist and then loosened it again.

That was new.

He looked once more at the statue, but it whispered no longer.

He momentarily worried about what kind of mayhem he had just released, but eventually shrugged and headed off to class before someone spotted him loitering around the  _haunted_ statue and deemed him a weirdo.

* * *

 

“Does anyone want to read the next page?”

The class groaned and avoided making eye contact with the sensei.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s a pain in the ass. C’mon. Someone volunteer or else I’ll pick at random.”

The boy in the desk to the right of Daichi’s timidly raised his hand.

“Uh… Sensei, I could read…”

“Ah! Azumane-kun! What a good student. Today you’re my favorite,” the sensei leaned against the desk, holding up his copy of  _To Kill a Mockingbird_. “Everyone take notes from Azumane-kun. He’s the epitome of the perfect student.”

“Ugh, Shimada-sensei you shouldn’t play favorites!” someone complained from the front of the room.

“Jealousy is very ugly,” he lightly smacked the student on the head with his book. “Now shut up so my favorite student can be heard. Go ahead, Azumane-kun.”

The meek giant lifted his book in front of his face to hide the flaming red color his cheeks had turned and stood.

Daichi smiled. Shimada-sensei was his favorite. He made the day interesting with his straight forward- and sometimes harsh- banter with the class.

Azumane started to read, voice soft, but just loud enough to carry across the room. Daichi turned his head to the side, staring through the window directly to his left.

It was a beautiful afternoon. The sky was blue and white puffy clouds rolled by leisurely, casting the occasional much coveted relief of shade on the earth below. Daichi could almost completely forget the events of that morning when the world seemed so peaceful.

Almost.

But not quite.

Especially not when he caught sight of that grey form barreling towards his window. Daichi’s eyes widened and he leaned away just as the youkai from that morning slammed into the glass.

The classroom erupted in shrieks of surprise and Azumane stopped reading as the loud thump echoed through the air.

“What the…” Shimada-sensei stared wide-eyed at the window.

Daichi gulped.

The youkai pressed his palms to the window, bare feet dangling in midair as he peered through at the classroom. His eyes fell on Daichi and his thick grey brows pulled low over his burning hazel eyes.

_They can’t see him… can they?_  Daichi glanced back at his fellow classmates.

Shimada-sensei hummed and turned away.

“Must’ve been a bird,” he said, calming the excited murmuring. “Let’s get back to reading. Azumane-kun?”

“Ah… okay…” he cleared his throat and picked up where he left off.

Daichi let out a deep breath of relief and turned back to the youkai. He glared down at Daichi fiercely and then pointed at the latch on the window.

_He wants in? Is he crazy?_

As if Daichi was dumb enough to invite a youkai into his classroom with so many people nearby. He gave a curt shake of his head and the youkai’s cheeks reddened in anger. He pointed again, nose scrunching, mouth twisting.

Daichi gave him a pointed stare and then faced forward.

_Does he think I’m an idiot?_

He had already tried taking a bite out of Daichi once that morning. There was no way he was going to give him the opportunity again—

Motion beyond the window drew his eyes once more.

The youkai pulled his right arm back and cocked it, ready to slam it forward.

_Wait…_

_Is he…_

Daichi’s eyes went wide and he suddenly thrust his hand into the air. The youkai paused, watching him with narrow eyes.

Azumane stopped his reading as Shimada-sensei cocked an eyebrow, “Something wrong, Sawamura-kun?”

“Ah… I… uhm…” he cleared his throat, lowering his hand. “It’s really hot back here. Is it okay if I open the window?”

“Go ahead,” Shimada frowned. “Was that really worth interrupting the reading for though?”

“S-sorry,” Daichi’s face warmed and he stood.

“Continue, Azumane-kun.”

Azumane picked up the reading once more and Daichi grabbed the latch to the window.

_This is a bad idea._

He knew it was a bad idea. But he couldn’t let the youkai shatter the window. Either way, he was getting inside. Daichi just chose the less violent path this time.

He opened the window and the youkai stepped inside, bare feet balancing on the sill.

“Smart move, kid,” he said, voice ringing through the classroom.

Daichi glanced anxiously at the students but they paid him no heed, leaning over their books in boredom.

Daichi gulped and sat in his seat once more, willing the youkai not to cause trouble.

_This is a bad idea._

His heart thundered in his chest.

“Hmm…” the youkai hopped onto Daichi’s desk and stared around the room, arms crossed over his chest. “Human schools are different than they were ninety-years ago.”

Azumane finished reading and sat.

“Thank you, Azumane-kun. Best student. Alright, who wants to be second best student? Higarashi?”

“Geh, don’t pick me!” a boy near the front of the classroom complained.

“Read the next page please,” Shimada sang, ignoring his plea.

The youkai turned towards Daichi as Higarashi stood and began reading, voice dull.

Sweat lined Daichi’s brow and he stared at the creature in the corner of his eye, pretending that he wasn’t there.

_He’s not there._

The youkai plopped down on his behind, legs hanging over on either side of Daichi’s chair. He leaned back on the heels of his hands, kicking his bare feet nonchalantly.

Daichi clenched his jaw and pulled the book out from under his thigh, holding it in his lap.

“Alright, I know what you did,” the youkai said in a low voice.

Daichi glanced up into his face. His eyebrows were pulled low, eyes dark as he stared down at him. For a moment, he was distracted by the small beauty mark in the corner of his left eye.

_He looks so…_

_Human._

“Are you going to admit to your crime?” the youkai demanded, placing his right foot on Daichi’s left thigh.

Daichi eyed the foot for a moment and then glanced into his face again.

_Crime?_

_What crime?_

_I freed you, ungrateful monster._

“I get it, you can’t talk,” the youkai leaned forward. “So just listen.” He reached out and pressed a finger to Daichi’s forehead. “I just tried to leave the city. And guess what happened?”

Daichi furrowed his brows.

“I got fucking  _burned_ ,” he lifted his foot and pulled the fabric of his hakama up mid-calf, revealing ugly red blisters around his ankle. “Look at it! It hurts like hell!”

Daichi stared at the wound for a long second before turning his eyes back to the youkai.

_So what?_

_How is this my fault?_

The youkai covered the wound once more and set the foot on Daichi’s thigh.

“You son of a bitch. How did you form a lifelink in that short of time?”

Daichi blinked.

_What?_

_Life what?_

The youkai continued to sneer at him for several moments as Daichi wracked his brain. A lifelink? Daichi didn’t know how to create such a thing. That would take a powerful ritual performed by an actual exorcist, wouldn’t it? There would have to be summoning circles and blood exchanges and talismans and chanting… wouldn’t there?

The youkai huffed, “Whatever. I don’t really care  _how_ it happened. It’ll disappear once I eat you anyway.” He waved a hand.

Daichi’s eyes widened.

_Eat me?_

_What?_

The youkai smirked and slid off of the desk. He settled in Daichi’s lap, straddling his hips. Daichi stiffened as he placed his hands on his shoulders and leaned close. He sniffed his face, staring deeply into his eyes.

“You should be happy,” he whispered, nose brushing his cheek. “It’s an honor to be the meal of someone like me.”

_Meal?_

_Me?_

Daichi gulped.

He wasn’t serious, was he?

He didn’t actually intend to eat Daichi right there in the middle of the classroom, did he?

The youkai caught his panicked glance towards Azumane.

“Hm… don’t worry,” he said, fingers grasping his jaw and turning his head to the side. “After I’m done with you, I’ll be sure to eat the others too.”

The youkai sunk his teeth into the side of Daichi’s neck, breaking the skin in an instant.

Daichi let out a loud gasp and grabbed the youkai’s hair. For a moment, he stared in confusion and terror at the sight of the pale grey glow emanating from his right hand, but then the youkai bit down harder and he felt a trickle of blood slip down his throat and wet the collar of his uniform shirt.

He pulled at the youkai’s hair and he unlatched his jaw from around his neck. Daichi pulled him back against the desk. The youkai’s irises were almost completely enveloped in the black of his pupils. His cheeks were flushed bright pink and blood dripped from his incisors, painting red down his pale chin. His tongue slipped out and licked the blood away slowly.

“Ahh…” he let out a moan. “ _Delicious…_ ”

A loud cry drew Daichi’s attention to the right.

Azumane stared at him with wide eyes, mouth gaping open. “S-Sawamura-kun!”

The rest of the class turned towards him and Daichi quickly slapped his left hand over the wound in his neck.

“What happened?” Shimada straightened away from the desk. “Sawamura-kun, did you hurt yourself? Where’s all that blood coming from?”

“Ahh… ahh…” Daichi glanced at the youkai, but he was still licking the blood from his lips, expression euphoric. “S-sorry. I uhm… it’s a scratch that I accidentally… uh…”

“Go clean it up,” Shimada said. “Go to the nurse. Azumane will you walk with him—”

“No! I can go by myself, it’s okay!” Daichi leapt to his feet, sending the youkai sprawling on his back in the aisle. “Sorry. I’ll be back when I get a bandage.”

“Don’t rush,” Shimada frowned worriedly. “Take your time.”

Daichi turned towards the door, eyeing the youkai anxiously.

_Follow._

_Come on._

_Follow me._

The youkai spotted him leaving and jumped to his feet. He chased after as Daichi swiftly crossed the room and entered the hallway.

“Don’t escape,” the youkai called.

Daichi picked up his speed until he was running down the hallway.

The youkai let out a tremendous cackling laugh.

“Ahh, prey is more delicious when it puts up a fight!” he squealed.

Daichi ducked into the bathroom and turned. The youkai burst in after him, just in time to catch Daichi’s- still glowing- fist in his left cheek.

The youkai flew across the bathroom and crashed into the trashcan, taking it out with him as he hit the tiled floor.

“Owwww!” he sat up, cradling his cheek. “Again with the punching! What are you, some kind of animal?”

“ _Like you’re one to talk_!” Daichi bellowed. He pulled his left hand away and stared down at the blood covering his palm and fingers. “Son of a  _bitch_.”

The youkai whined, kicking his bare feet against the floor, “Just let me eat you!”

“Fuck no!” Daichi went to the sink and held his hand under the faucet, rinsing the blood down the drain. “Fucking monster. This is the thanks I get for freeing you?”

“ _Freeing me_?” the youkai climbed to his feet. “You  _freed_ me from one cage just to lock me in another!”

“I did not!”

“Yeah you did! You formed a lifelink between the two of us and now I can’t leave your vicinity!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Daichi glared into the mirror, assessing the damage on his neck.

“Are you some kind of idiot?” the youkai slid in close to him and Daichi stepped away warily. “Are you one of those humans that have a low brain function?” he pointed at his temple, eyes wide. “Ehh… how do they say… were you dropped on your head as a baby? Wait, I know,” he cocked his head to the side. “Are you a retard?”

“You can’t say that anymore,” Daichi growled. “It’s politically incorrect.”

“You think I give a shit about political correctness?” the youkai’s left eyebrow lifted. “Do I look like I give a shit about the petty inconsistencies of your human society?”

Daichi washed his throat silently.

“It’s  _politically incorrect,”_ the youkai made air quotes with his fingers and Daichi stared at the motion.

He had never seen a youkai act so… human.

“It’s a fuckin’  _word_ , Shithead,” he flicked the center of Daichi’s forehead. “What, next you’re going to tell me I can’t say faggot or ass pirate?”

Daichi blinked at him, “Yeah. Yeah I am.”

“ _Ehhhh_?” he leaned both of his hands on the edge of the sink. “But those are my favorite things to say! They were really popular ninety years ago! Everyone was saying them!” He crossed his arms over his chest, “It was always,  _Wow, look at that faggot!_ ” he turned as if having a conversation with someone. “ _Which faggot?_ ” he turned again and pointed across the bathroom, “ _The one with the smallpox_!” he nodded, “ _Ohh… that faggot. Yeah he looks like a real ass pirate._ ”

“Well we don’t have smallpox anymore either so…”

“ _Ehhhh?_ ” the youkai pressed against his side and gripped his arm. “No  _smallpox_? But what’s controlling your population then? First you shake off the Black Death and now you got rid of the red one too?” he scowled. “How much can change in ninety years?”

Daichi turned off the faucet and pumped paper towels from the dispenser.

_Why am I talking to a youkai?_

_What’s going on?_

_Why is my hand glowing?_

He pressed the towels to his throat and turned back to the youkai.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said. “What is a lifelink? How did I form one between us?”

The youkai stared at him silently. After a moment he let out a sigh and shrugged.

“It’s a pain to explain. So just let me eat you and we can solve the problem.”

“Like hell.”

“Don’t be selfish.”

“I don’t think it’s selfish to want to  _live._ ”

The youkai’s gaze darkened, “You think your life is more valuable than mine?”

Daichi blinked.

The youkai’s incisors seemed to elongate as he turned towards him.

“You’re just a  _human_ ,” he sneered. “You live for less than a century. You contribute  _nothing_ to the universe. You take and destroy and maybe reproduce, bringing more disgusting creatures into life to take and destroy after you die.”

Daichi gulped.

The youkai moved closer to him, eyes traveling over his face and then down his throat, “What makes you think your life has more meaning than mine?”

Daichi was silent as the youkai leaned his face in and sniffed along his skin, nose brushing the side of his neck.

“My life may not have  _more_ meaning than yours,” he finally whispered, drawing the youkai’s eyes to his face. “But it has meaning. Even just the tiniest amount is enough reason to continue living.”

The youkai’s left ear twitched atop his head.

“You’re annoying,” he muttered. His lips brushed Daichi’s throat but he had his glowing hand in his hair in an instant, dragging him back. The youkai winced and didn’t fight.

“What is a lifelink?” he asked, voice low.

The youkai glared, nose scrunching in a snarl.

He didn’t reply for a long, silent second until Daichi tugged his hair again.

He bared his teeth and spat,

“ _You own me._ ”

Daichi’s eyes widened and his grip on the youkai’s hair loosened until he was stepping away, shaking his head in irritation.

“What are you talking about?” Daichi asked, heart racing.

_Own?_

_Own him?_

_Me?_

_How?_

The youkai paced the bathroom like a caged animal, hands clenched into fists at his side.

“When you were so kindly  _freeing_ me from my containment, you somehow cast a lifelink on me,” he paused and yanked the sleeve of his hakama up, displaying the wound on his ankle. “It’s a spiritual connection between powerful humans and youkai. Look at your hand,” he pointed and Daichi did as he said, staring at the pale glow emanating from his palm. “When you broke the seal on my prison, you grabbed me with that hand, and thus created a connection from that hand to this leg.”

“So…” he lowered his hand. “What does that mean? To…  _own_ you.”

“What does it mean?” the youkai danced back over to him. “Why, of course it means that I am your obedient servant! No… more like… a  _slave_ ,” he bowed deeply. “Here for your enjoyment. Do whatever you wish with me,  _Master_ ,” he peered up at him under dark lashes, eyes burning.

Daichi took a step back, “I don’t  _want_ to be your master.”

“Then maybe you should have thought about that before chaining me to you for the rest of your life,” the youkai straightened and turned away.

“I didn’t know I did it. I don’t know  _how_ I did it.”

“Wow, if only that  _mattered_.”

Daichi stared at his back for long seconds. The black tattoos that circled around his stomach curled behind and connected at his spine.

He swallowed hard, “How do we undo it?”

The youkai let out a cackling laugh. It echoed through the bathroom.

“ _Undo_ it?” he turned back to him, arms crossed over his chest. “Well… you can  _die_ , for one thing.”

“There’s gotta be another way.”

He narrowed his eyes. The look might be intimidating, but considering the seriousness of the situation, Daichi was strangely calm.

“There probably  _is_ another way,” the youkai agreed. “A ritual of release, or something like that. As to  _how_ one would do that… well that’s usually something the exorcist that formed the link would know.”

Daichi frowned, “But I don’t know. I don’t even know how I formed it in the first place.”

“Wow,” the youkai whispered. “If only that  _mattered_.”

Daichi lifted his chin.

“So…” the youkai pranced up to him and pressed his hands to his chest, “Just let me eat you, mmkay?”

Daichi lifted his glowing fist and punched him in the head.

The youkai sunk to the floor, whimpering, “God damn it, why does that  _hurt_ so bad?”

Daichi stared at his hand, “Probably because I’m your master.”

“Ugh I fucking hate you.”

“Anyway,” Daichi turned back to the mirror. He peeled the paper towel away from his wound and examined it closely. It wasn’t as bad as he had thought. But it was very obviously a bite mark. There was no way Daichi could go to the nurse with  _that_ on his neck. His eye twitched. He looked down at the youkai where he pouted, legs crossed beneath him, rubbing his head dejectedly.

“It looks like we’re stuck together for the time being,” Daichi said. “So let’s just try to get along and I’ll figure something out, okay?”

The youkai clicked his tongue.

“It’s that, or keep fighting,” Daichi glared at him. “Want me to keep punching you with my magic hand?”

The youkai looked away, lips pressed tight in a hard line.

“I don’t want to be your master,” Daichi walked over to the trashcan and set it up again. He tossed his soiled paper towels away and grabbed new ones. “But I also don’t want to get eaten. So let’s just work together until I can figure out how to free you.”

The youkai didn’t speak for a long minute as Daichi folded the towels and pressed them to his neck, capturing the fresh drops of blood that swelled to the surface of his skin.

Finally, Daichi faced him and gave him a firm stare.

“Deal?”

The youkai avoided his gaze, picking at his fingernails.

“ _Deal_?” Daichi repeated.

The youkai let out an exasperated sigh and climbed to his feet, “ _Fine! Deal!_ ”

Daichi offered his hand and the youkai gave it a wary look.

“Shake,” he said. “To seal the deal. You don’t try to eat me and I won’t abuse my master status.”

“You do realize that youkai do not abide by the silly…  _sealing of the dealing_ that humans do, right?”

“Just shake my damn hand.”

The youkai rolled his eyes and clasped Daichi’s hand.

They shook.

“By the way,” Daichi said. “My name. It’s Sawamura Daichi. You can call me Sawa—”

“ _Daiiichi,_ ” the youkai stepped close to him, nose nearly touching his.

Daichi flinched.

“Can I please have another taste?” the youkai purred. “Your blood… it’s really yummy, you know? Almost  _orgasmic_. I don’t know if it’s because you’re my master or something… but it’s definitely the tastiest blood I’ve ever had.”

Daichi released his hand and moved back, “No. No more biting.”

“But—”

“What’s your name?” he interrupted.

The youkai cocked his head to the side.

“What should I call you?” Daichi’s cheeks warmed.

_Am I really talking to a youkai like just another human?_

“Hmm… I wonder.”

The youkai’s tall ears twitched and he scratched behind the left one, eyes darting away.

“Do you not have a name?”

“Never really needed one,” he admitted, clasping his hands behind his back.

Daichi blinked in surprise, “Then… what did people call you? There must be  _something…_ ”

“Youkai titles are different from human ones,” he said. “Other youkai may refer to me by some such title but I answer to no name,” he turned away stubbornly and walked slowly across the bathroom.

“I can’t call you  _nothing_ ,” Daichi argued, following.

“Why not?”

“Because that’s… that’s weird. How will you know when I’m talking to you?”

The youkai cocked an eyebrow and peered at him over his shoulder, “Because you will be talking to me. What kind of question is that? Are you a retard?”

Daichi huffed, “If you have no name then I’ll just give one to you.”

“Don’t want it.”

“Too bad. I’m not going to refer to you as nothing.”

The youkai growled and crossed his arms over his chest, “Humans do such unnecessary things.”

“Sugawara.”

The youkai hesitated. He glanced up into Daichi’s face, blinking slowly, eyebrows raised.

“Sugawara,” Daichi repeated with a nod. “That’s what I’ll call you.”

The youkai looked away, lips pressing together. Daichi watched as he shifted from one foot to the other and then lifted slightly off of the ground to hover in air.

“Whatever,” he said softly, cheeks tinting pink. “Do what you want.”

Daichi stared in shock.

_Holy fuck._

He pressed the paper towels tighter to the side of his neck, forcing the stinging pain to grow.

Because  _no._

No.

Daichi  _did not_ just think that a  _youkai was cute._

No way in fucking hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably going to make this into a full fic eventually.  
> (TEN MILLION YEARS FROM NOW)


	3. Bold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suga snatches his chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course I'd choose Bold over Shy.  
> Of course.

“Has there ever been something you’ve wanted to do but just… couldn’t?”

Sugawara lowered his beer from his lips, “Triple back flip.”

“No… not like that,” Asahi frowned. He glanced to Shimizu where she sat to his left. “You know what I’m talking about, right?”

“Fly.”

“No!” Asahi let out a sigh. “I don’t mean like…  _physically_. I mean… was there ever something you wanted to do… but felt like you couldn’t because… because you were too scared or because society would frown on it?”

“Kill a man,” Sugawara said in a low voice.

“Forget it,” Asahi grumbled and lifted his beer to his lips. “Forget I asked.”

Sugawara smiled and leaned his chin in the palm of his hand. His eyes drifted across the bar to where Daichi stood, ordering another round for the table. He leaned his elbows on the counter and chatted cheerfully with the bartender, who laughed at something he said as she filled a pitcher with beer.

He was by no means dressed for flirting, wearing his wrinkled university track suit, hair tousled in messy rows on his head from dragging his fingers through it when it was still slick with sweat.

He was a complete bedraggled mess, totally not equipped for flirting.

But he was talking. And he was smiling.

And the bartender was definitely falling for his easy charm.

_Who wouldn’t_?

Sugawara wrapped his hand around his beer and tapped the glass silently.

“How did your exams go?” Shimizu drew his attention. “You were worried about chemistry, weren’t you?”

He straightened and flashed her a bright smile, “Piece of cake! Totally aced it.”

“Ehh…” Asahi pursed his lips. “I heard the chemistry program at your university is really hard.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Sugawara smirked.

“Says the guy that called me up every night for the past two weeks to cry about how  _I’m totally gonna fail it this time, Daichi. I’ll have to drop out and be a prostitute, selling my ass on the streets of Kabukichou!”_  Daichi set the pitcher of beer down on the table and took his chair next to Sugawara’s.

Sugawara pouted and punched him on the arm, “Traitor!”

Daichi laughed and filled Sugawara’s glass to the brim, “It all worked out in the end anyway, right?”

“No thanks to you,” Sugawara grumbled.

“What was I supposed to do, run to your dorm and help you study?” Daichi rolled his eyes. “This isn’t high school anymore, Suga.”

_I know_.

Sugawara stared down into his beer.

_Oh. I know._

Sugawara was all too aware that they were no longer in high school. In high school, he saw these faces every single day. At practice, in class, passing by in the halls, sitting across from him at the cafeteria…

Now he was lucky if he saw them a few times a month for their weekly drinking night. 

He knew he was fortunate to have these few hours each week to catch-up with his best friends. Most classmates split up and never saw each other again after high school.

Sugawara was really fortunate.

But…

“How’s the store, Asahi?” Daichi asked, leaning back in his chair. “Did you resolve that robbery business from the other day?”

“What? A robbery?” Shimizu’s eyebrows lifted. “You didn’t tell me about this.”

“Ah… it’s not a big deal,” Asahi scratched the back of his head. “Turns out it was a misunderstanding…”

Sugawara leaned his cheek in the palm of his hand. He really was fortunate. Because even though their schedules were different now, and they lived further away, and they went to different schools and had different friends and responsibilities… Sugawara was still able to see these people that had once been the entirety of his small world.

He was really fortunate. Even if things weren’t the same. They didn’t study together anymore. They didn’t play volleyball on the same team anymore. They weren’t the same setter, spiker, and receiver trio anymore. Asahi wasn’t the ace and Shimizu wasn’t the manager. Daichi wasn’t the captain and Sugawara wasn’t his vice.

Daichi and Sugawara didn’t walk home from school together anymore.

They didn’t buy each other treats at Sakanoshita and claim it was for “future favors” that they never ended up cashing in.

They didn’t catch each other staring at one another in class and then tease endlessly about it later that day, both too embarrassed to really address why… _just why_ their eyes were so magnetic.

They didn’t do a lot of the things that Sugawara had once looked forward to every single morning.

But they were still friends.

They were still here together, laughing and drinking and existing in one another’s lives.

Even if it wasn’t the same.

_Has there ever been something you’ve wanted to do but just… couldn’t?_

Sugawara wanted to go back to high school.

He wanted to go back in time.

He wanted to play volleyball for Karasuno for just one more game.

His gaze drifted sideways and met Daichi’s, already staring. Daichi took a quick drink of his beer and looked away.

_Was there ever something you wanted to do, but felt like you couldn’t because you were too scared?_

Sugawara wanted to take back what he once had.

No… he wanted to create something new.

Something that he had been too scared to create back in high school.

He wanted to be bold.

Sugawara reached out with one hand and grabbed the back of Daichi’s neck. He pulled him forward and pressed his lips softly to his, eyes closed. He kissed him for a long second and then leaned away. Daichi stared at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, lips slightly parted.

Sugawara slid his hand off of his neck and then faced Asahi. He wrapped his hands around his beer and smiled.

“Is that the kind of thing you were talking about?”

Asahi’s mouth flapped, “Ahh… ahhh… uhm… Y-yeah. I suppose.”

Shimizu snorted into her fist.

Sugawara smirked and glanced to Daichi, who was still gaping at him. He chuckled and lifted his beer to his lips.

They weren’t in high school anymore. Things weren’t the same. But maybe Sugawara didn’t want things to be the same anyway.

He wanted to make a change.

He wanted to be bold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short.  
> Sweet.  
> Fluffy.


	4. Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi receives a handsome reward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt was Past or Future, so I threw the kids literally into the past.  
> Because I wanted to indulge in some cocky Samurai Daichi.  
> Oh fun.

“Excuse me, oh Samurai-san!”

Daichi’s eyelid twitched and he lowered his hand to the hilt of the sword at his waist. He was outside for less than five minutes and was already getting heckled by the common rabble. He wrapped his fingers around the sword and turned, prepared to heed his mentor’s teaching and silence any pathetic commoner that dared think he was allowed to demand the attention of someone of Daichi’s status.

“Samurai-san!”

Daichi’s eyes fell on a young man in a simple grey kimono opened halfway down his pale chest. He was barefoot, carrying nothing on his back or in his hands.

At least he didn’t seem to be there to challenge him. Daichi was tired of losing perfectly good kamishimo to a few obnoxious blood stains and sword cuts.

“What do you want?” he snapped, not taking his hand off of the hilt of his sword. Even if the man wasn’t there to challenge him, Daichi knew better than to let his guard down around unnamed commoners. If he wasn’t careful, he could be stripped of his purse in an instant and forced to scurry home with his tail between his legs to be taunted by his peers and branded the fool robbed by a street urchin.

_Again._

The man smiled warmly and Daichi’s spine stiffened in alarm, fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.

“Well you see,” the man clasped his hands together and gazed at him from under his eyelashes. “I was just robbed. I was wondering if you’d kindly help me?”

Daichi’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t do charity work.”

“Of course not,” the man shifted closer to him and Daichi clicked his sword up slightly from its sheath. “Naturally I’d pay you for your efforts,” he cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “You samurai don’t do anything for free, do you?”

Daichi clenched his jaw. He was tempted to silence the peasant and continue on with his day. The only people allowed to talk to him like that were his fellow samurai and those men with purses fat enough to protect their hearts from the point of his sword.

Daichi straightened his shoulders and reminded himself that he was wearing his cream colored kamishimo that day. His  _favorite_ kamishimo, no less. It would be a shame to stain it so early in the morning.

“My services aren’t something that can be bought by rice and favors,” Daichi lifted his chin. “So I suggest you find someone else—”

“I suppose at the moment I do look like someone that couldn’t afford you,” the man interrupted, chuckling. He shifted closer and Daichi pulled his sword from its sheath. The man eyed it quietly but didn’t stand down. He turned an amused gaze to his face, “Help me this once and I promise your reward will be  _handsome_.”

Daichi should shut him up and continue on his way. But now that he looked at him, he could see that the fabric of his grey kimono was much more lavish than he had initially believed. It was woven with silk even finer than that which made up Daichi’s kamishimo, in fact.

And he was much too clean to be some common thief or rice farmer, too. His pale hair, although unruly and shorter than the style- as was Daichi’s- was washed and he appeared well fed.

He really didn’t look like just some random peasant.

Perhaps he was telling the truth. If he was bold enough to approach someone like Daichi in broad daylight, disregarding the obvious threat he posed, he must be of a much higher status than he originally thought.

It may just be worth Daichi’s time to go along with the stranger.

If he ended up lying to him, Daichi could just always kill him.

Even if he  _was_  wearing his favorite, cream-colored kamishimo.

“Very well,” Daichi sheathed his sword once more. “I’ll help you. No… I’ll  _allow_ you to hire me.”

“How generous, Samurai-san.”

Daichi stepped closer to him, gathering up a fistful of his kimono. “If you break your word, I’ll kill you without hesitation.”

The man chuckled and lifted his hands, “Of course. I promise, your reward will be very handsome.”

Daichi glared at him for a long moment before releasing his kimono.

“Well,” he smoothed his hands over the wrinkled fabric. “I look forward to working with you, Samurai-san.”

“Working with?” Daichi frowned.

“You don’t expect me to just point you in the direction of the thief and then sit here and wait, do you?” he cocked an eyebrow.

“That’s exactly what I expect.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” the man narrowed his eyes. “What’s to keep you from just running off with my property?”

Daichi gritted his teeth, “My honor—”

“Oh please spare me. The whole  _honorable samurai_ joke wasn’t funny the first time I heard it, and it’s definitely not funny now when I’m forced to actually hire one.”

Daichi clicked his tongue, “Joke—”

“My name is Suga,” the man clasped his hands behind his back. “What should I call you? Or do you like being addressed as Samurai-san?”

Daichi scowled.

“Call me Sawamura-san.”

“So formal. Can’t I just call you Daichi?”

Daichi blinked in astonishment, “How did you know—”

He chuckled, “A new samurai rolls into town and you don’t think I’d gather as much information as I could before hiring him?”

Just who the hell was this guy?

Daichi straightened his shoulders, “Regardless. You will address me as—”

“That’s enough chatting, I think,” Suga turned and headed down the street, a bounce in his step. “Let’s go Daichi, before that bastard spends all of my money.”

Daichi stared after him for a long second, mouth hanging open.

_Just who the hell is this guy?_

* * *

“Okay, you go be a distraction, and I’ll sneak in through the window and get my stuff,” Suga whispered, climbing silently over the clay tiles of the fortress’s roof.

Daichi followed behind at a slower pace, arms out at his side for balance.

“Distraction?” he grunted.

“Just make a fuss in the courtyard,” Suga insisted. “When everyone is looking at you, I’ll break in and—”

“I’m not a distraction,” Daichi argued. “I am a samurai. If this man stole from you, then I’ll just cut him down—”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you have any idea who—” Suga stopped.

Daichi’s eyes narrowed.

“Ah… I mean… don’t be stupid. There are too many guards. You’ll never win.”

“Don’t underestimate me.”

“I’m not. I wouldn’t have sought you out if I didn’t think you were strong. But… it’s just easier this way. And besides, it’d be such a terrible shame if you got blood on that real snazzy kamishimo you got there.”

“You’re mocking me.”

“Certainly not.”

Daichi glanced over the peaked roof they walked over, down into the lavish courtyard of the fortress. Just where the hell were they? He had never been to this side of the city. Was Suga really robbed by someone rich enough to live in such a large and ornate home? Who did it belong to? Just who  _was_  Suga that he had something that someone living in such luxury would want to steal it from him?

“Listen,” Suga grabbed his arm. “Do you want to get paid or not?”

Daichi stared at him silently for a long second. Suga lifted his brows.

Daichi  _did_ want to get paid. And now that he was there, looking at the building of the supposed thief, he was convinced that Suga would make good on his promise of a handsome reward. Even if it injured his pride to be a mere  _distraction_ , the appeal of filling his purse was too strong to ignore.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll be a distraction. Just hurry it up, okay?”

“I knew you were a smart man,” Suga grinned and winked. “Alright. Give me a boost up here, and then go draw everyone’s attention,” he stood underneath a window and lifted his arms up towards the sill.

Daichi clenched his jaw and reluctantly offered his hands. Suga placed one of his bare feet in them and pushed up. Daichi lifted him until he was scampering through the opening. Once inside, he leaned back out and looked down at him.

“Five minutes is all I need. Then we’ll meet down the road.”

“Five minutes,” Daichi agreed. “If you don’t show up—”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ll kill me or whatever. Don’t worry. I won’t betray you,” he glanced over his shoulder and then back down. “Okay. See you in five minutes,” he ducked into the building and Daichi let out a sigh and turned towards the courtyard.

He supposed it’d be suspicious if he just dropped in from the roof, so he climbed back down to the ground on the outside of the fortress walls and then walked swiftly to the front gate, which was open wide. He walked confidently inside, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Immediately, three guards approached him.

“Well, I’m here,” he announced loudly. “Bring him out.”

“Bring who out?” one guard asked suspiciously. “Who are you?”

“Don’t insult me,” Daichi snapped. “Your master was the one that sent for me. I’m willing to overlook the fact that he sent a  _messenger_ to fetch me, but only if you stop wasting my damn time and get him out here.”

The guards exchanged looks. One slid closer to another and said in a low voice, “Did Oikawa-sama send for someone?”

“Who the fuck knows?” the other guard muttered. “He never tells me anything anymore. Just go call him.”

The guard nodded, gave Daichi another look, and then ran across the courtyard to the fortress. He returned shortly, followed by a man dressed in an exquisite teal kimono, casually waving an ornate fan in front of his handsome face.

“What’s this nonsense about me sending for a samurai?” the man called.

“Well, I’m here,” Daichi crossed his arms over his chest. “What is it that you want?”

The man frowned. His eyes darted to one of the guards, “Iwa-chan did you—”

“Don’t look at me.”

He turned back to Daichi, “I didn’t call for you.” He hesitated, fanning his face slowly before a smirk crept over his lips. “But since you’re already here… I do have a job that you may be interested in.”

Daichi cocked an eyebrow, “I’m listening.”

The man let out a sigh, “Four times the past month a thief has broken into my home and stolen from me.”

Daichi blinked.

“He’s taken roughly eighty ryo, countless jewelry, bundles of my finest silk, family heirlooms, and my pet cat,” he continued. “He’s been a constant annoyance and I’d very much like him eliminated.”

Daichi’s eyes flicked over the man’s head in time to catch a flash of grey in a window high up in the luxurious building.

“It should be easy to find him,” the man went on. “He hangs around the south side of the city, usually gambling or pick-pocketing.” His lips pressed together, “He has short grey hair, hazel eyes, and a disgusting little mole in the corner of his eye.”

Daichi’s eyelid twitched.

“I believe he goes by the name Suga? Something common like that,” he waved his fan nonchalantly.

Daichi watched as Suga climbed out of the window, a bag slung over his back, a brand new royal blue kimono wrapped around his body. He slunk expertly down to the lower roof and then scurried up and over the peak, disappearing on the other side.

_That son of a bitch._

“So?” the man drew his attention once more. “How about it? If you kill him, I’ll pay you your weight in gold.”

“Let me think about it,” Daichi turned and headed back towards the gate of the courtyard. “I’ll get back to you.”

He left the courtyard and sprinted down the road, muttering low expletives under his breath. Suga was somehow already waiting in the promised meeting place, leaning against a tree as he sifted nonchalantly through a small silk purse.

“You lied to me!” Daichi called as he drew near. “Fucking thief—”

“Oikawa-san is such a narc,” Suga pushed away from the tree. “He’s got more than he needs anyway. Who cares if I borrow a little bit of it?”

Daichi grabbed the front of his new kimono and dragged him close, “He offered me my weight in gold to kill you. Your  _handsome reward_ best beat that offer or else I’m hauling your ass back down this road and throwing you at his feet.”

Suga stared wordlessly up at him for long seconds. Daichi opened his mouth and prepared to hurl another threat when suddenly, Suga clasped his jaw in both hands, closed the space between them, and slipped his tongue inside Daichi’s mouth.

Daichi’s eyes widened and his grip on Suga’s kimono loosened. Suga kissed him long and deep, effectively muddling his mind and erasing whatever threat he had been prepared to spit before the unexpected attack. When his thoughts were ground completely to mush, Suga leaned away, hands sliding down the front of his kamishimo. He took a step back and smirked.

“How’s that?”

Daichi swallowed, “Wh-wh-what was that?”

“Your reward!” Suga lifted two fingers in a peace sign.

Daichi’s brows furrowed, “My reward? But that’s— no… where’s my money?”

“I never promised you money,” Sugawara took a step backwards, eyes glinting with amusement. “I promised you a handsome reward. And who is more handsome than me?” he winked.

“You son of a—”

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Samurai-san,” Suga gave a deep bow. “I hope to play with you again in the future,” he blew a kiss, turned, and walked down the road, a slight bounce in his step.

Daichi _would_ chase after him, cut him down, and take the reward Oikawa had offered… if his traitorous knees thought it prudent to stop shaking weakly.

“Fuck…” he slumped over to the tree and leaned heavily against it.

He had been thoroughly played. He had wasted an entire day. He had been taken advantage of by a common thief. He aided in a robbery and didn’t even get paid.

On top of that…

Daichi ran a hand along the inside of his kamishimo. Sure enough, his coin purse was nowhere to be found.

“Fuck,” he covered his eyes and leaned his head back against the tree.

And there he sat for the next two hours, a lone samurai, robbed clean of his money, his time, and his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get wrekt, Daichi.  
> I kind of like the idea of Samurai Daichi and Thief Suga.  
> Maybe I'll continue this in the future too.


	5. Secret Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A contract is formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Secrets or Truth?  
> Why not both?

“You’re hiding something from me.”

Sugawara was already shaking his head before Daichi got the full accusation past his lips.

“Nope. Nuh-uh.”

“Suga.”

“Daichi.”

Daichi reached out and clasped his chin, lifting it until their eyes met.

“How long have I known you?” he asked.

“You mean you’ve forgotten? I’m hurt.”

“Suga.”

“Daichi.”

Daichi sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a huff, “Just tell me what you’re hiding.”

“A bag of heroin up my ass.”

Daichi’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m actually a spy for the government sent here to pin a terrorist attack on you.”

He sighed deeply.

“I learned how to speak Polish last year and am participating in a Polish rendition of  _The Wizard of Oz_ tomorrow night at the library.”

Daichi released his chin and turned away. “Whatever. Don’t tell me then.”

“I’m in love with you.”

“Ha ha,” he rolled his eyes and walked down the sidewalk in the direction they had been heading after making their usual stop at Sakanoshita. “I get it. I’ll stop asking.”

“I’ve been in love with you for a year now.”

Daichi’s steps slowed.

“We’re graduating in a couple of months and are splitting up. I wanted to confess before then but was having trouble deciding how to do it.”

Daichi stilled, staring down at the sidewalk beneath his sneakers.

“I was going to make it a nice little production. Maybe buy you some flowers or a new volleyball and write on it that I loved you or something cheesy like that.”

Daichi slowly turned.

“I was going to tell you some awful line like, _m_ _ake me the happiest guy alive and let me be your vice forever._  Or maybe,  _receive my love and I’ll set your heart on fire._ ”

Sugawara let out a laugh and scratched the back of his head. The laugh didn’t reach his eyes as they flitted away, brows furrowed.

“I was going to ask you if we could maybe stay together. Somehow. Which is a stupid question. Long distance relationships are hard and we’d both be busy with school and stuff…” His hand slipped off of the back of his neck and hung limply at his side, “That’s assuming you even accepted me in the first place. I know it’s kind of weird.”

He cleared his throat, eyes still avoiding Daichi’s stare.

“It’s probably a real douche move for me to drop this on you when we’ve only ever been friends in the past. And I know it’s selfish to want to change things without even checking to see if you’d even… want that.” He inhaled deeply and breathed it out slowly, “All I know is that…” his voice lowered. “I’m in love with you. You’re my best friend. And the thought of going our separate ways really scares the shit out of me.” He let out a laugh and rubbed his eyes, “It scares the shit out of me. Because I think that if I’m not there every day, making you notice me, making you hear me… then you’ll just forget about me. I’ll just be that annoying guy that used to hit and tease you back when you played volleyball for Karasuno.”

Daichi took a step towards him.

“It scares the shit out of me because you’re my best friend and I don’t want to someday wake up and want to talk to you… but can’t. Because it’s been years. And I don’t have your number anymore. And I don’t know where you live. And I don’t know if you remember me. Maybe you’re married. Maybe you’ve got two kids and are happy and haven’t even thought about me in years and I’m all alone in wanting to see you and hear your voice…”

Daichi cupped both sides of Sugawara’s jaw and lifted his face.

“That’ll never happen,” he murmured.

“Wh-what if I don’t meet anyone else to take your place and I’m just alone forever and ever and—” Sugawara’s eyes widened and a clear sheen of tears covered them. “What if you’re the only person that I ever love but we live in different places and you don’t feel the same way and you’re married to a pretty woman and have cute little kids and you’re so happy that I can’t even convince you to step out on your marriage and cheat with me and—”

“Suga, stop,” Daichi said firmly.

Sugawara clamped his mouth shut as the first tear slipped from his eye and slid down his cheek. He gulped and lowered his eyes as Daichi struggled to come up with something- anything- to say.

But what could he  _possibly_ say to convey the way that he felt? Sugawara’s sudden confession had blindsided him. What should he say to him? That he felt the same way? That he had the same fears and insecurities? It’s not like he didn’t understand the distance that would soon separate them. Kyoto and Tokyo were more than five hours away by car and two by bullet train, not that Daichi would be able to afford a round trip ticket more than once a month anyway. If that.

So what do they do?

Do they wait, and hope the other still feels the same way by the time they’ve graduated from university? Do they hope to somehow end up working close to one another, giving them the chance to reconnect and maybe move in together?

Just what was he supposed to say?

Sugawara reached up and brushed the tears from his cheeks. He held his hands up and let out a laugh.

“Just kidding!” he announced, chin quivering. “Just kidding… Got you, Daichi,” he sniffled. “Man, you’re still as gullible as ever,” he pulled Daichi’s hands away from his face and then sidestepped around him. “You should’ve seen your face. You looked so surprised. Ha ha…”

Daichi turned and watched him walk slowly down the sidewalk, dragging the sleeve of his track suit across his eyes.

“You’re so easy to tease,” he went on. “Almost easier than Asahi. Ha ha.”

“Suga.”

Sugawara’s steps slowed, “It was just a joke, Daichi. Like all the others.”

Daichi struggled to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. He couldn’t believe what he was about to say.

“You’re going to university to study law.”

Sugawara didn’t reply.

“A-And there… you’re going to learn about contracts and stuff.” Daichi rubbed at the center of his chest as an itchy heat spread out under his skin, painful and urgent. “Contracts… uh… they’re… they’re pretty powerful. Signing a contract, it’s like signing your soul away, you know?” He cleared his throat and fell to a short fit of coughing. When he collected himself again, he rambled on, “Like… selling your soul to the devil. Uhm… he has you sign a contract with your blood and—”

“Do you have a point you’re trying to hit, Daichi?” Sugawara glanced at him over his shoulder.

His cheeks warmed, “W-well… usually when you’re signing a contract, it’s an equal- or not so equal- exchange, right? You  _give_  in order to  _get_.”

Sugawara turned back to him.

“So what if…” Daichi scratched the back of his neck. “What if we write up our own contract?”

Sugawara blinked slowly. He gulped and then asked in a soft voice, “What are we exchanging?”

Daichi lowered his hands to his sides.

“Ourselves.”

Sugawara’s eyes widened.

Daichi cleared his throat again when it went dry, “Y-you see… we’ll sign a contract to belong to one another forever. A-and… if by the end of university, I’ve broken that contract and found someone else, you can sue me.”

Sugawara let out a snort, capturing it in the palm of his hand.

Daichi’s cheeks burned, “And, since you’re going to be the best lawyer Japan ever had the pleasure of raising… I’m pretty sure that you’ll win.”

Sugawara laughed, turning his face away.

“And the same goes for you,” Daichi lifted his chin. “If you break the contract… then expect to be hearing from my lawyer.”

“ _Stupid,”_ Sugawara pressed his arm to his eyes. “God Daichi, you’re so stupid.”

“Are you rejecting my business offer?”

Sugawara lowered the arm and they stared at one another for a long second.

“I accept,” he finally said, turning away once more. “Since you insist. I was totally just joking about the whole thing but  _jeez_ , if you’re really that desperate then there’s no way I can turn you down, right?”

Daichi smiled and jogged to catch up with him as he headed down the sidewalk.

“I  _am_ going to be the best lawyer in Japan, by the way,” Sugawara boasted. “So you best be careful not to fall in love with some pretty Tokyo girl. I’d really hate to see her cry as I drag you kicking and screaming out of the courthouse when I win my case.”

Daichi let out a laugh, “That does sound traumatic. I’ll try my best to stay away from pretty Tokyo girls then.”

Sugawara snickered.

They walked side by side for another block before Daichi finally gained the courage to reach out and lace their fingers together. A soft smile touched Sugawara’s lips and he squeezed his hand. They slowed their steps, prolonging their journey home in the fading light of the day.

Several comfortably silent minutes passed before Sugawara hummed and asked,

“So… in this situation… am I the devil you’re selling your soul to?”

Daichi snorted.

“Definitely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute pining boys and anxieties about the future make me weep every time.  
> Get wrekt, me.


	6. New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi acquires a new... responsibility?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay the prompt New or Old has little to nothing to do with this one but... oh well.

“Fine! I’ll just find a new job!” Daichi stumbled down the uncharacteristically empty street of Kabukichou, cradling a bottle of whiskey in one arm. “I didn’t need that shitty job anyway,” he slurred to himself, lifting the bottle to his lips. “I’ll find a better job. A job with parties and sex and… and liquor! Yeah, that’s it… I’ll be a bartender!” he thrust the whiskey into the air, turning his face to the soft night rain. For a moment he staggered blindly, closing his eyes against the cool pattering of the rain. He welcomed the cleanse of what felt like more than just his face and hair.

After the scene he had caused back at his office following the news that he was being demoted, Daichi needed a good cleanse. He needed to cleanse his body and soul- but mostly his memory- of the image of him hurling his phone at his boss, calling him a corrupt, ass licking, nut sucking pig, and pushing the desk over before storming out of the building in an expletive flinging huff.

_I don’t fuckin’ need them anyway._

His toe caught on a raised piece of street and he lurched forward, eyes popping open once more. His gaze fell on the crumpled form huddled on the far side of the sidewalk, in between a trash can and the wall of a love hotel. He knew what it was the instant it caught his attention.

“Oh fuck. A dead body.”

Daichi glanced down the street. He could keep walking. He could pretend he saw nothing, go home, drink some water, fall asleep, and forget all about this tomorrow morning. After all, none of the scarce late night roamers seemed to have noticed Daichi or the body. He could just ignore it.

But Daichi had always been a bit of a boy scout.

And his pride as a good man prevented him from just turning the other direction and feigning ignorance.

He let out a low groan and stumbled towards the body.

“Hey,” he called. “You ‘live?” As he moved closer and closer and the body came more into focus, Daichi realized that it was too small to be the adult he had formerly thought it to be. 

Daichi might’ve thrown up at the horror of finding the dead body of a child on the filthy streets of Tokyo’s least savory neighborhood, but rather than vomit leaving his lips, a breath of relief passed them by at the sight of a set of unfeeling, brown eyes staring directly up at him.

_Oh thank god, he’s alive._

Daichi froze and stared down at the young boy that couldn’t be any older than four or five years old. He wore a ragged pair of jeans and a torn and filthy t-shirt, both drenched from the rain. He was barefoot, shivering as he hugged his knees to his chest. Atop his head was a flat mop of unruly grey hair, and nestled in the corner of one of the bags hanging below his dead eyes was a small beauty mark.

He was thin and filthy and  _holy shit Daichi just found a random kid on the streets, what should he do?_

Daichi looked left and right frantically.

“H-hello?” he called. “You left your kid here… uhm… hello? Is someone missing a kid?”

But the street around him was empty, save for a small group of laughing drunks standing out in front of a club boasting nude girls inside.

As far as good, trustworthy adults went, Daichi was the only one in sight.

“Fuck,” he muttered and then clapped a hand over his mouth. “Uhh… uhh… I mean heck!” he rubbed his temples stressfully, nearly pouring whiskey down the front of his jacket. “Fuck— ah, heck,” he quickly screwed the lid back onto the bottle and set it aside. He shook his jacket off of his arms and stepped close to the young boy.

“Hey,” he said in a voice he hoped sounded soothing. “Hi. Don’t be afraid. My name is Daichi. Err… Sawamura-san. Are you lost?”

The boy eyed him dully for a long second, gaze drifting slowly across his appearance.

“Can you understand me?” he asked again. “Do… do you understand Japanese? Uhm… how about, English?” He spoke in disjointed English, “ _Hello, do you— need help?_ ” and then winced at how stupid he sounded. He should have paid better attention during English lessons back in school.

The child didn’t react to either language, merely staring lifelessly up at Daichi, blinking lethargically.

“Where’s your Mommy and Daddy?” Daichi asked in a slow voice.

But he still didn’t reply. He sat quietly, getting drenched by the rain, shivering against the cold.

“Ah fu-heck,” Daichi glanced around again. “Okay… let’s get you to the police station,” he held his jacket out and settled it down around the boy’s shoulders. He then scooped him up into his arms and straightened. The boy placed hands on his shoulders and leaned back, holding him in his emotionless stare.

Daichi turned in a slow circle, “Okay uhm… where’s the police station…” He wracked his mind but couldn’t seem to recall the directions to anything other than the bar he had been previously drinking at and his apartment. “Okay, no problem,” he held the boy with one arm and thrust the other hand into the pocket of his suit pants. “I’ll just call the police…” he pulled his hand out, empty. “That’s weird…” he switched arms around the boy and checked his other pocket, just to come back with the same result.

“Where’s my…” he paused. “Oh… that’s right.” He pursed his lips. He had thrown his cell phone at his corrupt pig of a boss.

_Ex Boss._  

He looked to the boy, who continued to stare at him stiffly, hands pressed against his shoulders.

And really, what else could he do?

He smiled warmly at the child and put his other arm around him, holding him securely against his chest.

“It’s okay,” he said. “You can stay with me for the night. We’ll find your mommy and daddy in the morning when I can think straight.”

Daichi knew it was a bad idea.

A random drunk taking a small, unknown child home with him?

He probably looked like some kind of child predator.

But it was the only solution his drunk mind could think of at such short notice. Besides, it was still steadily raining and the kid would die if he didn’t get him out of the cold and into some dry clothes. And he couldn’t rely on someone else finding and taking care of him. Not in  _this_ neighborhood.

So regardless of whether he looked like a creepy pedophile or not, there was no way Daichi was leaving him out on the street.

“It’s okay,” Daichi spoke- rather rambled- soothingly the entire walk home while the boy continued to stare wordlessly at him. When he made it back to his tiny apartment, he thought once more about how this was the worst terrible decision he had ever made in his life and tomorrow morning the police were going to barge into his room and arrest him, branding him a child predator for the rest of his sorry, stupid life.

But at least if he was in prison, he wouldn’t have to worry about looking for a new job. And at least the kid would be safe, warm, and fed.

That’s all that really mattered, right?

“Here we are,” Daichi closed the door behind him as he carried the boy into his apartment. “Home sweet home!”

The boy finally dragged his eyes from Daichi’s face and glanced around the entrance of the apartment. Daichi kicked his shoes off and then set the child down on his bare feet, removing the suit jacket from his shoulders.

“It’s not much,” Daichi continued, hanging the jacket on the hook next to the door. “But it’s warm. And it’s cozy. And it’s home.” He reached out and took his hand, “C’mon, I’ll run you a warm bath and make you some food.” He led him down the hall to the bathroom and filled the tub with warm water.

“Wait here,” he said, turning for the door. “I’ll get you something to wear.” Daichi left the bathroom and let out a deep breath.

He was so fucked. If Asahi saw him now…

“What else am I supposed to do?” Daichi let out a low whine and stomped childishly to his bedroom. “Just let him freeze to death or be the prey of an  _actual_ child predator?” he went to his closet and sifted through the clothes, searching for something the boy wouldn’t be absolutely drowning in. “He’s such a cute kid! There’s no way he could survive out there! There was nothing else I could do. I did the right thing,” he nodded stubbornly and grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of exercise shorts.

He went back to the bathroom to find that the kid had already climbed into the tub, his filthy clothes crumpled on the floor beside it. He moved his hand slowly through the water, staring at it with wide eyes.

“How’s the temperature?” Daichi asked, setting the fresh clothes on the sink counter. “Is it too hot? Too cold?”

The boy glanced at him but then looked back to his hands, running them reverently through the liquid, as if he had never seen such a thing before in his life.

“There’s soap and shampoo you can use,” Daichi pointed at the bottles sitting on the edge of the tub. The boy looked at them, turned to Daichi, and then faced the bottles once more.

Daichi watched him for a moment as he hesitantly reached out to the shampoo and poked it. He poked the soap next and looked to Daichi.

“Do you not know how to wash?” Daichi lifted an eyebrow. “How old are you?” he walked up and knelt beside the tub. “Okay. See this bottle?” he lifted the soap. “Soap. You use it to wash your body,” he popped the cap and took the boy’s hand, holding it out. He poured a small amount into his palm and set the bottle aside. “Just rub it all over,” he feigned washing his chest.

The boy looked at the soap warily, suspicious eyes flicking back up into his face.

“Listen, Kid. I’m already on the fast track to being deemed a child molester. I’m not washing your body for you.”

He cocked his head to the side questioningly.

Daichi sighed, “Okay, forget the soap then,” he rinsed the soap from his hand and then grabbed the shampoo bottle. “I’ll wash your hair for you.” He squirted a dollop of the shampoo into his hand and then gestured at him, “Turn around.”

The boy did as he asked, leaning his back against the side of the tub. Daichi scowled and lathered the shampoo in his unruly grey hair.

“When we find your mom tomorrow, I’m gonna give her a good lecture about teaching you not to trust people so easily. You’re lucky I’m a good guy, but what if some creep had found you before I did?” He let out a huff and massaged his fingers over the boy’s scalp gently. “Really, it’s bad enough that she  _lost_ you. And in such a fuckin’— ah,  _heckin’_  bad neighborhood. Just what the fuck— shit, no I mean heck, ah god damn it, fuck. No.” He paused, pressing his forearm to his eyes momentarily. “When we find your parents, please don’t repeat any of this shit—  _junk_ that I’m saying.” He continued scrubbing his hair, “I already look like a pedophile. I don’t also need to add general  _bad influence_ to my record.”

He finished washing and then rinsed the boy’s hair.

“Alright, let’s dry you off and get you something to eat,” Daichi stood and grabbed a fluffy grey towel. The boy stood and climbed out of the tub and Daichi wrapped the towel around him. “Dry, dry, dry,” he sang as he rubbed his hair and shoulders. He released him, allowing him to dry the rest of his body as he turned to the clothes.

He lifted the shorts, “Alright, here you go. They’re gonna be like hakama on you, but it’ll have to do,” he knelt and held the shorts out. The boy stepped into them and Daichi pulled the drawstrings as tight as they would go and tied them off.

“And your shirt,” he lifted the t-shirt, “It’s going to be like a dress on you. But it’ll have to do.”

The boy dropped the towel to the side and held his arms out. Daichi’s eyes fell on a large, black bruise covering his left ribs. His mouth went dry and he swallowed, looking back into the boy’s face. He stared at him, emotionless, waiting patiently for him to pull the shirt over his head.

Daichi inhaled deeply and slid the shirt over his head and shoulders, pulling his arms through the sleeves.

“Alright,” he stood and turned away. “Let’s get you some food,” he dragged his fingers through his hair stressfully as he led the way down the hall to the kitchen.

_Fuck. Fuck._

_What’s that?_

_Where did he get that?_

_Did his parents do that?_

_Is he a runaway?_

Daichi stressed quietly as he gathered ingredients for a meal from the cupboards and refrigerator. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t hand a kid that was obviously abused back over to the parents that might have been the ones to do it. What’s more, they’d probably just pin the blame on Daichi anyway.

He was a drunk, twenty-five year old man who had spent the past several hours of the night slumming it in the raunchiest neighborhood in the city.

Just who were the police going to believe?

He was so fucked.

“Tomorrow’s Daichi will figure it out,” he mumbled as he cooked. “Sober Daichi is much smarter than drunk Daichi. He’ll know what to do.”

He put together a simple meal and then sat on the other side of the table and watched the boy eat it. His eyes were wide as he hungrily scooped spoonful after spoonful of the food into his mouth, barely sparing the time to chew and swallow before stuffing another bite in.

“Slow down,” Daichi said. “You’re going to choke.”

The boy ignored him, sucking down a long gulp from his water.

“Jeez,” he muttered, leaning his chin in the palm of his hand. “It’s like you’ve never eaten before in your life.”

Physical abuse  _and_ neglect?

_Shit._

_Fuck._

When the boy finished, Daichi set his dishes in the sink and led him to the bedroom.

“Alright, you take the futon,” he said, fluffing the pillows and blankets. “I’ll sleep right here on the floor so when the police barge into my apartment tomorrow, I’ll look less like a pedophile. Ah, maybe I should sleep in the kitchen… nah, it gets cold in there.”

He patted the futon and looked up at the boy, “Here you go. Get in.”

The boy followed his instruction and Daichi tucked him in gently, pulling the blanket up to his chin and patting his stomach.

“There you go,” he said with a warm smile. “If you get cold, just steal my blanket, okay?”

The boy blinked up at him wordlessly.

Daichi stretched out on the floor next to the futon, letting out a tired groan. The exhaustion was finally taking hold of his already foggy, intoxicated mind.

He let out a loud yawn and stared up at the ceiling, “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Tomorrow, we’ll figure it all out.” His mind drifted to the bruise covering the boy’s side and dread filled his stomach. “It’s okay,” he said again. “Sober Daichi will know what to do.” He let out a laugh, “Who knows, maybe I’ll just have to be your new Daddy.” His eyes slid closed and he hummed, “I guess that means I’ll need to find a new job…”

His brain was shutting down, going to sleep for the night, when he heard soft rustling from the futon. And then Daichi’s blanket lifted and a small, warm body slid close and snuggled against his side. The boy rested his head on Daichi’s shoulder, thin arm wrapping tightly around his stomach.

Daichi’s heart twisted painfully and he put an arm around him.

“It’s okay,” he mumbled. “I’ll protect you.”

Is what he thought. And he sincerely believed those words as he fell asleep, swearing that in the morning he’d know exactly what to do.

To protect this child.

To keep him safe from whatever it was that haunted him.

However, reality just wasn’t as simple as Daichi’s drunken daydreams.

He had been so positive that he’d know exactly what to do the instant he opened his eyes that morning. But any confidence he may have had the night before was blown completely away the instant he awoke to find a grown ass adult man cuddled into his side, one hand tucked underneath Daichi’s shirt, fingers spread over his abdomen.

For long seconds Daichi stared down at the head of unruly grey hair resting on his chest. 

That head was much larger than the one Daichi had shampooed just a few hours prior.

_What._

_The._

_Fuck._

Daichi let out a cry and sat up hurriedly, spilling the man to the floor beside him.

“What the fuck?” Daichi scampered backwards and pressed his back to the wall of his bedroom. The man groaned and rubbed his head. He rolled over and leveled Daichi with a brown-eyed stare. The eyes were the same as the ones that had drilled holes into Daichi’s soul last night, but rather than that dull, lifeless look, they were warm, curious.

“Wh-who are you?” Daichi demanded. His head pounded with a dull ache and his stomach twisted nauseously at his sudden movement. “Wh-why are you in my apartment?”

The man sat up and looked around the room, smiling affectionately.

“It’s not much,” he said in a light voice. His eyes slid over a bookshelf in the corner, “But it’s warm. And it’s cozy. And it’s home.”

Daichi blinked at him in surprise.

“Home sweet home,” he chuckled softly and faced Daichi, corners of his eyes crinkled tenderly.

He crawled on all fours in Daichi’s direction and Daichi noted that he was wearing his t-shirt and shorts, still too large, but no longer a dress and hakama.

“Wh-who are you?” Daichi repeated.

“Suga,” he answered simply.

Daichi leaned away as he drew nearer.

“What… what are you…”

The man put his hands on Daichi’s knees and pushed them down to the floor. He climbed onto his lap and straddled his hips, placing his arms around his shoulders.

“Why do you look so shocked?” he asked softly. “Didn’t you say you’d be my new Daddy?” his fingers curled in the hair at the back of Daichi’s neck.

“Wh-wh-what?”

He hummed and slid a finger along the line of Daichi’s jaw, “That’s what you said last night, wasn’t it?”

Daichi gulped, eyes falling on the beauty mark in the corner of his left eye.

_No._

_No fucking way._

“What are you?” he whispered.

The man smiled, eyes glittering with amusement, “Your new job.”

Daichi’s eyes widened.

He leaned forward until their noses touched, “You’ll do it, right? You’ll protect me?”

Daichi’s stomach dropped.

Well… on the bright side, he wasn’t going to be hauled off to prison and convicted as a child predator.

The man trailed his fingers reverently through Daichi’s hair, scrutinizing his face closely with wide, feeling eyes.

A shudder passed through Daichi’s body and he slumped back against the wall, breathing out a soft,

“ _What the fuck._ ”

The man straightened, eyes lighting up.

“I think you mean  _heck_.”

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the apartment like the peals of Daichi’s funeral bells.

And he was so hecked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At request, I have a continuation of this on Tumblr.   
> I will probably end up making this a full fic too. (someday)  
> Click [Here](http://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/post/163566981279/a-continuation-of-daisugaweek2017-day-6-because-i) for Part 2.


	7. Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi goes on a hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instead of doing a cute vacation-esque story for the final day's prompt Forest or Ocean, I decided to go full fantasy.  
> Because I'm a nerd, so sue me.  
> SUE ME.

Daichi knew that crossing the border was a bad idea.

The Kingdom of Miyagi was an absolute hellhole. The small towns and villages that dotted the countryside were forced to rule over themselves after the fall of the royal family to Darkness just three years previous. Bandits, thugs, and an all matter of violent monsters were a constant source of terror for the kingdom’s citizens, making the roads nearly impassable.

No one slept peacefully in a place like Miyagi.

Which made it the  _perfect_ place for Daichi to transfer.

After all, monsters were Daichi’s job.

Researching them, that is. Writing about them, to be more specific.

Daichi made his living on observing monsters, gathering information on how they lived, breathed, ate. He discovered their strengths and weaknesses and wrote them all down in a collection, and then printed and sold it, spreading the knowledge of how to deal with the creatures among the people of his homeland.

His monster handbook had swept his home kingdom in a matter of months and it was safer there because of it. Every home had a copy of it on its bookshelf. Everyone now knew which monsters came out only at night, and those only in rain. Every mother now knew how to ward off the imps that preyed on pregnant stomachs. Every farmer now knew which weed to grow around the perimeter of their fields to keep the herbivorous but incredibly destructive turtle-like creatures at bay.

And it was all thanks to Daichi.

Naturally, his handbook had secured him more than a comfortable living back in his homeland. He had resolved himself to retire at the young age of twenty-two years old, living the rest of his life in ease…

Until he met a merchant from Miyagi in a tavern late one night.

He told endless stories about the monsters he had encountered when traveling through the kingdom to the north.

Daichi was in awe.

He had thought he knew about  _all_ monsters. He thought he was the expert on them.

Finding out that this was not the case left him feeling more than a little unfulfilled.

He knew that crossing the border into Miyagi was a bad idea.

But no respectable monster researcher could resist the appeal of a land filled with monsters upon which he had never set eyes.

And so, ignoring the warnings of his family and friends, Daichi packed his belongings, sold his home, and traveled north.

He crossed the border into Miyagi in the late afternoon, just as clouds covered the sky and began to weep warm, spring rain over the land.

Daichi pulled the hood of his cloak up and over his head, reaching a hand into his pocket and fingering the small leather purse filled with the herbs used to ward off newts the size of horses that typically crawled up from their caves to bask in the rain on cool afternoons such as this one.

It didn’t occur to him for long minutes that he was now in Miyagi, and the same rules that applied to his homeland didn’t apply there. He pulled his hand from his pocket and stared around the quiet forest in which he was traveling.

He couldn’t let his guard down. Miyagi was foreign territory. He knew nothing of the obstacles he would face there. It would be wise for him to move quickly to his first destination and gather whatever information he could from the locals before pursuing his research.

Daichi rested a hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist and picked up his pace, weaving through the trees in the direction of the southernmost village of the kingdom.

It had been a while since he had felt the harsh sting of fear of the unknown. He couldn’t tell if he was enthralled by the old thrill of danger, or if he was beginning to regret tossing aside his comfortable, retired life for the sake of chasing excitement once again in an unfamiliar land.

_The fear will pass._

Daichi straightened his shoulders and continued on with confidence, though his fingers tightened around his sword.

_The more you learn, the less you will fear._

Such comforting thoughts proved useless five minutes later when sudden rumbling footsteps drew in from behind.

Daichi sucked in a single, deep breath and whirled around in time to plunge backwards, narrowly avoiding being beheaded by a clawed hand making a swipe for his face. He collapsed onto his back and stared, wide-eyed up at the first monster he had the pleasure to face in Miyagi.

The creature was spider-like, with eight, skinny legs, each ending in five-clawed hands, which dug and scratched at the ground beneath. Its body was short and fat and covered in what looked like black metal plates, like that of a knight’s armor. It raised its two massive heads, a single eye glowing orange from the center of each. Neither head had a mouth, they were merely two black orbs that shifted and turned out of rhythm with one another.

Daichi quickly began making his assumptions, struggling to pull his sword from its sheath.

_Armored body, probably impervious to weaponry._

_Its weakness should be its eyes._

_Where is its mouth?_

Two of the monster’s clawed legs reached up and hooked into the trunks of two trees surrounding them in the densely wooded area. The legs pulled up, tilting the body in such a way that the underside of its belly was on display, revealing the gaping, dripping maw and rows and rows of teeth.

_Ah._

_There it is._

Daichi finally managed to get his sword from its sheath just as the creature lunged forward, teeth snapping and reaching for his face.

Daichi held his sword up, aiming for what he assumed would be the soft innards of the creature’s mouth.

His sloppy attempt at finding a weakness was thwarted, however, as the teeth closed around the blade of his sword and cracked the metal clean in two, leaving nothing but the hilt in Daichi’s hands.

_Ah._

_Fuck._

Daichi held his breath and pressed back against the wet ground.

Crossing the border had been a terrible idea after all.

“There you are!”

A sudden voice bounced against the trees, echoing loud over the patter of rain.

“I didn’t say you could escape!”

Daichi jerked his head up. A dark form- a man, from what Daichi could see in the shadow of the forest canopy- leapt from a tree nearby. He lifted a glinting sword high above his helmeted head as he flew towards the monster. He drove the sword down into one of the legs clutching the trees.

_That won’t do. It’s armored. It won’t—_

The sword sliced clean through the leg, disconnecting the bottom half from the body.

The creature let out a keening screech and scampered backwards as the man landed in a crouch. He straightened, swinging his sword left and right nonchalantly as he skipped after the monster.

Daichi pushed up on his elbows and watched him in awe.

“No running this time,” he sang as he danced up to the creature and wrapped a gloved hand around the dripping nub of its injured leg. The creature screamed and ripped at its leg, effectively lifting the man up into the air, where he released the appendage and made a broad swing towards one of the heads.

Another leg flashed up and deflected the blow, sending the man flying towards a tree. He twisted in air and caught himself on a branch, quickly crawling on top of it. The creature lunged for the tree, claws ripping at the wood.

The man swayed back and forth with the motion of the tree and then lunged forward, swinging his sword once more. The monster ducked its head just enough that the blade missed its glowing eye, striking the armored plating instead. The man’s sword shattered in his hand and he dropped to his feet.

“Ah, not another one,” he turned and hurled the hilt against a tree.

The monster swiped at him and he effortlessly rolled beneath the reaching claws, simultaneously pulling a bow from his back and notching an arrow to the string. He came out of his roll in a kneeling position, lifted the bow, and loosed the arrow.

Daichi couldn’t even follow the speed of its course. One instant, the arrow was in the man’s bow, the next it was lodged in the eye of the monster’s left head.

The monster shrieked and clattered back, legs writhing underneath its body as it crashed into trees, tearing down branches and ripping up the earth with its flailing claws.

The man stood and reached into a small pouch on his belt. He pulled a small black sphere from it and tossed it in the air momentarily, helmeted head turned towards the monster. Then, without warning, he struck the sphere against the side of his helmet, and flung it towards the creature.

It landed directly beneath its belly and promptly exploded, filling Daichi’s eyes with a bright flash of fire and sparks and his ears with a tremendous  _boom._

The creature stilled for a long moment, still standing on its quivering legs until its heads fell forward and the rest of it came crashing down in a smoking heap.

Daichi’s heart raced in his chest and he turned towards the man once more. He hummed cheerfully as he slung his bow over his shoulder and skipped up to the body. He instantly started circling it, pulling a dagger from one of his tall leather boots and slicing off body parts, dropping them into his bag. He climbed up on its back and pulled at his arrow, the eye coming with it. He examined it quietly for a moment before letting out a sigh and tossing the eye aside, slipping the arrow into the quiver on his back.

Daichi reached into his bag and pulled out his notepad and pencil. He stooped over the page and quickly jotted down notes of the encounter.

He quickly lost himself in his writing, which made it easy for the mysterious man to sneak up on him.

“Those things travel in packs, you know.”

Daichi nearly leapt clean out of his skin at the sound of the voice at his ear. He clambered to his feet and whirled towards the man.

He was roughly the same height as Daichi, wearing leather armor of a deep forest green. The helmet on his head completely shrouded the top half of his face, leaving only his neck, chin, jaw, and mouth visible. It was crafted from what looked to be the scaly hide of some unknown creature. Intricate designs in paints of red and cream coiled around it and at each temple curled two black horns, tipped with more of the cream. Daichi hunted for some sort of eye holes, finding none.

Daichi gulped, “Ah… thank you… for saving me.”

“They travel in packs,” the man repeated, grinning. He lifted his hands and splayed his fingers, “This pack had ten. Ask me how many I killed.”

Daichi blinked, “Uh… how many did you—”

“Just this one.”

Daichi’s bones chilled.

“Meaning there’s nine left,” he added, lowering his hands to his sides. “So maybe you should get out of here before they find out I just slaughtered their queen.”

Daichi’s tongue dried up and he flapped his mouth uselessly before managing to get the word out, “Qu-queen?”

“Oh man they’re gonna be  _piiiiissed_!” he giggled. “So, you should go.” He turned and headed towards the edge of the small clearing the monster’s destructive claws had created.

“Ah—” Daichi took a step after him. “Wait! I have some questions to ask you—”

A high pitched shriek from the depths of the forest cut him short.

The man turned back to Daichi, “Go, go. You’re gonna get eaten.”

“But—”

“There’s a town that direction,” he pointed through the trees. “Not far. If you run, you could get there in less than an hour. Assuming you don’t get eaten by something else along the way!” he laughed.

“Wait,” Daichi followed when he tried to leave again. “Hear me out. I think we could help each other. See I’m writing—”

“He’s what?” the man interrupted.

Daichi blinked, “Huh? He?”

He glanced at Daichi silently.

“He’s cute.”

Daichi took a step back in surprise, cheeks growing warm, “What? Who? Me?”

The man’s lips pursed and he scratched the side of his neck, fingers ruffling the soft grey hair curling out from under his helmet. “Hmm…” he turned away. “I dunno. I don’t care about those types of things.”

Daichi stared after him in confusion, eyes narrowing.

_What?_

“Anyway, he won’t look very cute when he’s monster food,” the man reached into his boot and produced his dagger. “If I get seven more undamaged eyes, I can trade for that sick shield Kuroo promised me.”

_Who?_

_What?_

_Is he even talking to me anymore?_

“What’s more important?” the man huffed. “Duh. The  _shield._  It has  _diamonds_ in it!”

Another cry echoed through the forest and the man froze. A long moment after the scream faded away, he winced and held his hands over his helmet where his ears would be.

“No need to yell. Fine.”

He turned back to Daichi and pointed again, “There. Village. Run to it. I’ll get a lecture if I let someone as cute as you die.”

Rumbling sounded from the opposite direction and Daichi took a step back, gaze flitting over the man’s shoulder.

“You’re going to face them on your own?” he asked anxiously.

The man grinned wolfishly, “You bet your ass I am.”

Daichi stared at him for another long moment before giving a nod, “Alright. I’ll go. But I’m going to find you again. And we’re going to strike up a deal.”

The man laughed, the sound gleeful and unnervingly out of place in the wet, dreary forest, merely three meters from the still smoking body of the dead monster, “Fine. Apparently I’m  _counting_  on that.”

Daichi hesitated for another long moment, and they faced each other in silence. Though he couldn’t see his eyes beneath the helmet, Daichi could feel his magnetic stare on his face, igniting a crackling urgency in his chest that he couldn’t resist, let alone ignore. It took every last fiber of his strength to force his legs to turn and flee the clearing, leaving the mysterious and enthralling man behind, the sound of multiple shrieking screams hot on his heels.

He didn’t slow even when he finally emerged from the forest and found the road once more. He continued on until he saw the lights of the village through the rain. He staggered tiredly down the road that led to the center of the village, gasping heavily for the air for which his burning lungs thirsted desperately. He found an illuminated building that looked to be an inn and stumbled inside, closing the door behind him.

“Welcome,” a dull voice called and Daichi turned towards the tall, slender blonde standing behind a counter on the left side of the room. He straightened from where he was leaning on the wall and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Would you like a room?”

Daichi panted softly and walked up to the counter on shaking legs. “Ah… uhm… yes please.”

He nodded and then called, “Yamaguchi, we’ve got a customer.”

“Oh!” a freckled man ran into the room and joined the other at the counter. He smiled wide at Daichi, “Welcome! Would you like some dinner?”

Daichi leaned against the counter in exhaustion. “Sure. Hey. This might be a long shot… but do you guys know a guy… a crazy mother fucker… who’s really good with a bow and isn’t afraid of huge ass monsters—”

“You met Suga-san?” Yamaguchi pressed his hands together, face lighting up.

Daichi’s brows lifted, “Suga-san?”

“Yeah! That sounds like Suga-san. He’s the strongest guy I know. And he’s not afraid of anything!”

“Also, completely insane,” the blonde said blandly.

“Tsukki! Don’t say that about our savior,” Yamaguchi scolded.

The one called Tsukki rolled his eyes, “I’m just stating facts. The guy  _talks_ to himself.”

“Well what do you expect?” Yamaguchi lifted his chin. “He’s always by himself… maybe he’s only got himself to talk to!”

Daichi stared down at the notepad still clutched in his left hand.

_Suga._

If he could somehow team up with him, he could get his new book written in  _no_ time. It was obvious that the man was well versed in Miyagi’s monsters.

He looked back up at Yamaguchi, “How can I find him?”

He blinked at him in surprise, “Ehh… find him?”

Tsukki let out a snort and crossed his arms over his chest. “Good luck. No one finds Suga-san.”

“What do you mean?”

Yamaguchi scratched his cheek, “Ah, well… Suga-san is an… adventurer. He… doesn’t really stay in one place for very long.”

Daichi frowned, “Where does he live? He must have a home that he returns to from time to time.”

Yamaguchi and Tsukki exchanged a glance.

Tsukki shrugged and looked to Daichi once more, “Not as far as we know. He shows up at random and disappears soon after. He doesn’t follow the roads and no one really knows anything about him.”

Yamaguchi nodded, “No one even knows where he came from. Stories about him started popping up around three years ago but they’re all pretty much the same. He helped a traveler here, saved a town there…”

“Accidentally dropped a blizzardilla on someone’s house here, accidentally set the eastern watchtower on fire there…” Tsukki added with a sigh.

“Oh right,” Yamaguchi chuckled sheepishly. “I forgot about those ones… heh…”

Daichi drummed his fingers on the counter, “He was just in the woods outside of this village. Do you have any idea where he’d go next?”

Tsukki let out a humorless laugh, “Who knows? He could be anywhere from Fukurodani to Johzenji by morning.”

Daichi reached into his bag and pulled out his map, “Fukurodani…” he found the city on the right side of the map and then searched until finding Johzenji on the furthermost left side. He lifted his eyes to Tsukki, “You can’t narrow it down?”

“Afraid not.”

Daichi cursed under his breath. Just how the hell was he supposed to find him? Should he go back out into the rain and see if he could catch up to him in the forest? Maybe he was still fighting those monsters. If Daichi could find him… but no. Daichi was well aware now that he was no match for the monsters that roamed Miyagi. He couldn’t be carelessly wandering around in the rain at night. He wouldn’t get miraculously saved twice in a row.

A thought struck him.

“He said something about trading eyes for… a shield,” Daichi furrowed his brow. “With someone named… Kuroo?”

Tsukki’s lips twisted in a sneer and Yamaguchi chuckled.

“Do you know him?”

Tsukki clicked his tongue, “ _Unfortunately._ ”

Yamaguchi smiled and leaned over Daichi’s map, “He’s a merchant. Here. At Nekoma.”

Daichi stared at the location on the map.

“Nekoma…” he mused. “That’s not far from here. So you think he’ll head there after he’s collected those eyes?”

Yamaguchi let out a laugh.

Tsukki rolled his eyes, “Please, don’t rush. Knowing Suga-san, he’ll get distracted chasing after a butterfly, end up in war, raise the dead, become king, defeat the Darkness, and then get married and have six kids before he ever winds up in Nekoma.”

Daichi stared at him silently.

“What he means is…” Yamaguchi drew his gaze. “Suga-san likes to stop and smell the roses some times. So… he probably won’t head directly to Nekoma. But I’d say probably in the next month or so…”

“A month?” Daichi’s jaw dropped.

Yamaguchi shrugged sheepishly.

_A month._

Daichi stared down at the map. 

_A month?_

And even that wasn’t a sure thing?

Maybe he wouldn’t collect enough eyes. Maybe he would decide not to trade with Kuroo and never show up.

Daichi let out a deep sigh and folded his map once more.

Oh well.

It didn’t matter how long it took.

It didn’t matter if Suga never showed up in Nekoma and Daichi had to go out searching for him all across Miyagi.

He already decided that he’d find him and so nothing was going to get in his way.

Come hell or eight legged monsters, Suga was going to help him write this book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaand I'll probably make this into a full fic too.  
> Except I'll rewrite the first bit WITHOUT the horrible, boring, gratuitous exposition... RIP.  
> But yeah... it'll probably be a whole story someday.  
> Fuck.  
> What is my life about.  
> Oh... right.  
> DaiSuga.


End file.
